First members of military contingent arrive in B.C. to assist with flood recovery

A handful of Armed Forces members have arrived in British Columbia, the first of what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said could be several hundred troops as the federal government moves to help the province recover from devastating floods.

The Canadian Joint Operations Command says nine members of the Edmonton-based 3 Canadian Division Immediate Response Unit arrived in B.C. overnight to start scoping out the scene before planning and co-ordinating ongoing relief efforts in earnest.

Other troops have been put on high alert and will start to assemble and deploy into the area once the advance team and provincial government determine where they are needed most.

At the same time, a C-130 Hercules is on its way from CFB Trenton while one helicopter from CFB Edmonton and another from CFB Esquimalt are on standby.

Premier John Horgan has declared a state of emergency in response to flooding and landslides that began Sunday after record rainfall drenched much of southern B.C. for more than 48 hours.

One person is confirmed dead in a landslide that swept vehicles off a road near Pemberton and the search continues for more victims, while flooding has left much of the Fraser Valley under water, killing thousands of farm animals in what officials are calling an agricultural disaster.

Abbotsford flooding situation remains critical

People in Abbotsford continue to hope for the best but they’re also preparing for the worst as the Sumas Prairie remains devastated by flooding.

Mayor Henry Braun admits the situation remains critical, and notes it’s likely things could get more complicated around the area.

“We are not out of this by a long shot yet,” he said Thursday, noting water levels need to drop further for evacuation orders to be rescinded in Sumas Prairie.

While water levels on the Fraser River dropped Wednesday, Braun says they remained level overnight. The city has still been unable to open its flood gates. Until that can happen, Abbotsford won’t get all the relief it needs.

“The Barrowtown Pump Station is operating at full capacity and, as I mentioned last night, approximately 500,000 gallons per minute go through that pump station,” the mayor said.

Just two days ago, the city was worried the pump station was going to fail. That hasn’t happened, thanks in part to a massive volunteer effort that saw people fill and stack sandbags at the facility, creating a dam and keeping water out.

BREAKING NEWS – Evacuation Order Rescinded for: 1) Huntingdon Village 2) Area West of Sumas Way between the USA Border to Lonzo Road. Area is now under an evacuation ALERT. See attached maps pic.twitter.com/cEkssp5f6d

— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) November 17, 2021

Three people remain missing in a deadly mudslide disaster near Lillooet

The search through mud, rocks, and debris near Lillooet is expected to resume at first light Thursday, but conditions will likely not be as favourable for those hoping to find several people missing in the mudslide.

Three people remain unaccounted for after a massive mudslide came down without notice on Highway 99-Duffey Lake Road north of Pemberton on Monday.

One woman from the Lower Mainland was confirmed to have died in the slide, and many other families are still without answers.

“That’s devastating news for a family, devastating news for all British Columbians, but sadly we expect to confirm even more fatalities in the coming days,” B.C. Premier John Horgan said Wednesday during a provincial flood update.

The BC RCMP says the situation is changing constantly and the work is complicated, made worse through snowy weather on the way.

Conditions were clear Wednesday but flurries and freezing temperatures are in store for the area Thursday, according to Environment Canada.

The damage, the assessment and the recovery… in images.
We're collecting #BCstorm photos of the impacts it has had on our BC highways. We'll continue to add as more photos/videos are available.https://t.co/72xZ1tv26Q
Please drive safely and only if you have to. Check @driveBC pic.twitter.com/xS56JKHiUn

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) November 18, 2021

Minister details what support Canadian military offering in B.C.

Committing to ensure British Columbia has the support it needs for as long as it’s needed, Canada’s public safety minister is detailing how the Armed Forces will be deployed to flood-ravaged communities.

An initial team of 300 was sent in Wednesday afternoon, according to Bill Blair, who adds about 4,000 troops are ready to be deployed if necessary.

“We will continue to deploy as many people as British Columbia needs,” he said.

Thirty aircraft, including both helicopters and supply planes are expected to touch down by evening.

“The province has identified a need for air support primarily to assist with recovery, evacuation, and essential supply goods. Because roads and rail have been cut off in some areas, we’re seeing shortages of essential goods, of food, and even feed for livestock in those areas,” he explained.

“There’s also a need for aerial reconnaissance to assess the damage and to initiate the process of repair.”

I spoke to Minister @mikefarnworthbc to let him know that we stand with British Columbians during this extremely difficult time, and are working hard to provide the support they need as quickly as possible.

— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) November 17, 2021

B.C. storm disrupts supply chain

Highway and railway closures caused by severe storms in B.C. earlier this week have led to empty shelves in grocery stores in the Fraser Valley and Interior, despite the province telling people not to hoard.

Photos on social media show a near barren meat aisle at a Save on Foods in Chilliwack, while a Walmart in Kamloops is out of milk and doesn’t know when it will be restocked.

Supply chain expert Sylvain Charlebois with Agri-Food Analytics Lab says while he’s not worried about shelves staying completely bare for long, there are a few food items that might be in short supply because of the floods.

“They’ll adapt, and they’ll probably ration people. They’ll ask people to buy fewer items, which is normal. That will be okay for a while but I’d say probably in a few weeks from now or starting in December — you may see shortages of dairy products, of poultry and eggs,” he explains.

“These are supply-managed commodities and quotas are set for BC. So if you’re not producing any of this, there’s nothing coming in. And tariffs on imports are super high. So you’re basically, you can’t import anything. So that’s going to be a problem.”

"The essentials ARE coming." Dave Earle w/the @BCTruckingAssoc says they've been in constant contact w/the province & border services to ensure essential goods keep moving to people throughout B.C. More on this story to come on our website. @CityNewsVAN https://t.co/9qkQp9qzfu pic.twitter.com/KXaC9MaFds

— Ria Renouf ???? (@riarenouf) November 18, 2021