The man behind the Abbott-Chapman report says he is pleased with the progress that has been made since in the two years following the 2017 BC wildfire season.

George Abbott says modernizing the Emergency Program Act, which the province announced this week, was one of the key recommendations of his May 2018 report with Chief Maureen Chapman.

He says the government has done a commendable job over the last year and a half.

“Our report, and it was an extensive one, engaged many issues and themes. Among them was planning, preparation, and better understanding where our points of risk are, both on the fire and the flood end. I’m delighted by the progress that’s been made.”

He says its important to understand where the risks are so that the province can manage emergencies more effectively.

“Nature gave us a bit of a reprieve in 2019. We had one of those summers that was delightfully balanced with occasional rains and relatively moderate temperatures,” Abbott said. “But we can’t count on that into the future as the recent events in California demonstrate.”

The province is seeking feedback on modernizing its legislation until the end of next January, and updated legislation is expected to be introduced in the fall of 2020.