The establishment of an extensive flood strategy for the area has been suggested by a federal Senate committee, nearly a year after severe floods devastated British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.
A series of air rivers caused flood waters to flow north from Washington State in November, flooding 15,000 hectares of land and displacing roughly 1,000 farms and 2.5 million animals.
Although the whole cost of the flooding in November of last year is still being tallied, it has been pegged at more than $250 million.
A trio of key recommendations from the Senate agriculture committee have now been released in an effort to stop a future catastrophe of a similar nature.
A comprehensive flood plan for the entire Fraser Valley is the first thing the committee is urging all levels of government to develop since it would be “essential” to safeguard the prosperous agricultural sector.
Sen. Robert Black, the committee’s chairman, stated in a news release that “floods like those in southwest British Columbia in November 2021 will surely happen again and the devastation they inflict could be considerably worse.”
“The federal government must invest in and assist the British Columbia government in updating the province’s obsolete flood mitigation infrastructure in order to protect residents, farmers, and their livelihoods in the Fraser Valley.
The committee also suggested that authorities create a system for sending aid to stricken farmers more swiftly.
Additionally, it suggested that Canada and the United States work together to develop a long-term strategy to address concerns about flooding caused by the Nooksack River in Washington state.
During the flood disaster, it was this river that overflowed its banks, pouring water across the low-lying flood plain of the Fraser Valley and onto the Sumas Prairie.
Henry Braun, the outgoing mayor of Abbotsford, who won praise for his calm leadership during the floods of last year, praised the report as a positive step in the right direction.
“I concur with the suggestions made there. I believe that after reading the report, people are aware of the problems, he stated.
“They are the same challenges that existed 30 years ago; we have just done nothing. I am hopeful that by adding the voice of the standing committee to all the other voices, including mine, we will actually take action on this.
The committee recommended that a timeline for dike upgrades be included in the Fraser Valley flood plan, and it calls for the establishment of a federal-provincial committee to examine flood mitigation measures and emergency preparedness and response strategies with stakeholders, including Indigenous communities.
Abbotsford council set out its own preferred flood mitigation plan in June, a more than $2-billion proposal that includes a new pump station on the Sumas River along with the construction and improvement of numerous dikes.
Braun argued that a new Sumas River pump station should be given priority over the remainder of the plan and that this should be done as soon as possible, including receiving provincial approval and federal money.
We don’t need any more committees or studies, he continued, referring to the pump station. All of the work has already been completed and delivered to the province. We need to decide right now.
In addition, he demanded that the Canadian Forces resume their presence in the Fraser Valley, which has been lacking ever since CFB Chilliwack was shut down.
According to him, the Matsqui Institution, a federal penitentiary close to Highway 1 and the Abbotsford Airport, is approaching the end of its anticipated existence and Ottawa may consider moving it and establishing a military installation on the area.
Because of reaction delays, the military wasn’t already here, which shows how desperately we needed them. However, that wasn’t their fault. They were unable to arrive. “Everything was disconnected,” stated Braun.
In a Senate report, a thorough flood plan for the Fraser Valley is demanded.
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