Indigenous communities hit hard by B.C. floods say they received no warning, are getting little help

The rains had been torrential for more than 12 hours when Cook's Ferry Indian Band Chief Councillor Christine Minnabarriet looked out her window and sensed something was wrong.

Driving out to nearby Highway 8, Minnabarriet saw the Nicola River was level with the road and the water was washing right over it in some places. 

Her concerns confirmed, Minnabarriet went back to her community near Spences Bridge, northwest of Merritt, and started telling members to leave.

There had been no alarm or text message alert — she was her community's warning system.

By the time she got back to her office, a group call had been arranged with Emergency Management B.C., but that was hours after she'd realized the waters were too high and had warned people to leave. 

As the province cleans up from what was some of the worst flooding and mudslides in B.C. history, many have criticized the provincial government's lack of warning to drivers and residents in hard-hit areas.

B.C. has never used the straight-to-your-cellphone emergency communication system known as Alert Ready, though it's been available since 2018. 

Now, at least three Indigenous communities affected by the flooding are adding their voices to the chorus of those calling for more warning and better communication about evacuations and available assistance. 

"B.C. dropped the ball by not contacting Indigenous communities," First Nations Leadership Council member Robert Phillips said.

"As soon as Emergency Management B.C. sees the situation that's happening, they should be calling the First Nations as well as First Nations Emergency Management Services Society," he said. 

Coldwater Indian Band Chief Lee Spahan was also left scrambling last Monday. Band council members fled as flooding overwhelmed their offices in downtown Merritt. 

"We never received no call," Spahan said.

The entire city of Merritt, population 7,000, was ordered to evacuate last Monday after flooding caused the failure of the municipality's wastewater treatment plant. 

Spahan says he is still searching for help.