B.C. has extended its provincial state of emergency as well as its limitations on fuel purchasing as it continues to deal with the fallout from major flooding and mudslides that have occurred from heavy rain throughout this past month.
The Province is extending the temporary measure to limit non-essential vehicles to 30 litres of fuel (gas and diesel) per trip to a gas station until Dec. 14, 2021.
Given the continued threats of flooding and the continued need for public safety measures under the Emergency Program Act, the provincial state of emergency is also being extended until the end of the day on Dec. 14, 2021.
Since the initial atmospheric river from Nov. 14-16, a series of storms has worsened existing flooding and created new flooding and landslides in southwestern B.C.
There are currently 3,606 properties on evacuation orders and 7,402 properties on evacuation alert.
Another storm is also looming, expected to hit coastal areas — including Vancouver Island — by Monday evening.
“People in our province have been affected by the devastating floods and while we’re making major progress in our recovery, we’re still in a volatile situation,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “I want to thank British Columbians for doing their part so that essential vehicles can continue to operate. The fuel conservation measures are working but with another storm on its way, we are extending the order to ensure that we prioritize emergency services for another two weeks.”
As for the fuel order, it applies to all fuel suppliers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope region, the Sea-to-Sky region, Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, while essential vehicles will continue to have unrestricted access to fuel as required.
“Extending the provincial declaration and fuel limitations will help us with the challenges ahead as we continue repairs to our heavily damaged highways and get our rail and roadways back up and in operation,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Having goods move along B.C.’s corridors is vital to moving goods and services to people in need.”
Energy Minister Bruce Ralston says the pipeline provides most of the fuel for B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, which is now being shipped in by rail from Alberta and on barges from the United States.
The government is continuing to restrict traffic to essential purposes only on select highways as well.
Farnworth noted during a press conference on Monday that any British Columbians that must be on the road should be prepared for the worst.
“If you must be on the road, carry food, water, warm clothes, a blanket and a well-stocked emergency kit and pay close attention to DriveBC,” advises Farnworth.
Public Safety Minister Farnworth reiterated the province is also prepared to use Alert Ready, a system that pushes emergency notifications directly to cellphones if local authorities believe the next storm poses a threat to life or public safety.
Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Chilliwack remains closed, as does Highway 1 from just east of Highway 9 and Hope, through the Bridal Falls area.
“Extending the provincial declaration and fuel limitations will help us with the challenges ahead as we continue repairs to our heavily damaged highways and get our rail and roadways back up and in operation,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Having goods move along B.C.’s corridors is vital to moving goods and services to people in need.”
With another storm approaching the south coast this week, the ministry continues to monitor the weather closely to determine if further closures are required.
Along with declaring a provincial state of emergency from the floods earlier this month, B.C. also called upon the federal government for assistance amid the difficult time.
As part of Ottawa’s response, the federal and British Columbia governments have created a joint committee of cabinet ministers to deal with the devastation caused by flooding, while also promising to match donations given to the Canadian Red Cross.
“We will be here for whatever is needed,” Trudeau told a news conference at the legislature in Victoria.
“We need to rebuild. We need to rebuild more resilient infrastructure that’s going to be able to handle 100-year storms every few years because that seems to be the pattern we’re on. It’s going to be expensive but it would be far more expensive to do less or not to do enough.”
Horgan said the province has been reeling this year from successive events caused by climate change: first drought, then a heat dome that claimed almost 600 lives, followed by wildfires and now floods.
The Province also announced earlier this week that people who have been evacuated or impacted by flooding and landslides can receive up to $2,000 from the government to help cover some of their emergency costs.
To date, the Canadian Red Cross has distributed $2.25 million to people who have been evacuated due to flooding, according to Farnworth.
Disaster Financial Assistance is also available for people in areas affected by flooding and landslides from Nov. 14-16, 2021. This assistance is open to homeowners, residential tenants, businesses, charitable organizations, local governments, Indigenous communities, and farmers.
British Columbians can access the DFA application online: http://www.gov.bc.ca/
Additional Resources
For a list of essential vehicles, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/
For information on evacuation orders and alerts, visit Emergency Info BC: https://www.emergencyinfobc.
For updated road conditions: www.drivebc.ca
Graham Cox
