February 1, 2024 – A new survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), found that 59% of residents of 10 competitive federal ridings in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland feel the federal government should do more to prepare for the possible future occurrence of overland flooding. Moreover, 67% support the federal government introducing a national flood insurance program.
IBC commissioned the survey to gauge interest in a high-risk flood protection insurance solution through a partnership between governments and the property and casualty insurance industry. The results from the survey are clear, with the majority of Lower Mainland residents calling for the federal government to act on flood protection.
Some of the survey’s key findings include:
- 15% of Lower Mainland residents feel they are at risk of experiencing overland flooding or have already experienced such an event, and 25% are concerned about flooding in their community. Notably, 20% are concerned about losing their home to overland flooding.
- 74% of Lower Mainland residents feel preparing for future flooding events should be at least a moderate priority for the federal government, with 34% feeling it should be a top or major priority
- 59% of Lower Mainland residents feel the federal government should do more to prepare for the possible future occurrence of overland flooding.
- 67% of Lower Mainland residents support the introduction of a National Flood Insurance Program.
The online survey was conducted from December 21, 2023 to January 9, 2024, among N=802 adult (18+) residents in 10 competitive federal ridings (electoral districts) in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (BC). The dataset has been weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of the proportions of this population. Online samples cannot be assigned a margin of error. However, as a guideline, a probability sample of N=802 carries a margin of error of ± 3.5%, 19 times out of 20. Note: In this report, the term “Lower Mainland residents” refers to the collective sample from the 10 ridings.
For additional results for the survey, see IBC’s associated press release and infographic summary of the study’s key findings. For more information about IBC’s perspectives on a national flood insurance program, visit FundFloodInsurance.ca.
