Canada: Infrastructure funds to be earmarked for disaster preparation, Goodale says

The federal public safety minister says the government will open its wallet to help Canadians prepare for natural catastrophes spawned by extreme weather linked to climate change, reports CTV News.

Devoting a portion of planned infrastructure spending to disaster readiness will not only stimulate the economy, but ensure communities are better able to deal with floods, forest fires, drought and ice storms, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in an interview with the Canadian Press. 'Weather events are going to get more severe, they're going to get more frequent, they're going to get more damaging,' Goodale said.