Justin Trudeau to visit B.C.'s flood-damaged Fraser Valley as more storms approach
CBC
THE LATEST:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will arrive in British Columbia on Friday for his first visit since record-breaking rainfall caused widespread flooding and mudslides in the province — and just as more storms are forecast to hit this weekend.
The prime minister will tour the city of Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, which has been particularly hit hard by the floods.
Trudeau is scheduled to talk to volunteers and first responders there, along with Matsqui First Nation Chief Alice McKay, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun, and local residents affected by the floods.
Braun, in a Friday morning news conference, said the flood zone stayed stable overnight as the Barrowtown Pump Station kept pace with the additional 50 millimetres of rain but said the city is still "very concerned" about the upcoming weather.
Braun said up to 220 millimetres of rain are expected in the city over the coming five days — 90 to 120 millimetres from Saturday to Sunday, then another 50 to 100 millimetres from Tuesday to Wednesday.
"Part of our challenge in planning for the next few days is that any additional rain we receive will be introduced into an existing flood area where waters are already high," the mayor said. "The rivers surrounding the Sumas Prairie and the ground [are] super saturated. This is a situation we have never faced before."
The initial storm last week brought 180 millimetres, but in a shorter amount of time. Since then, repairs to the main Sumas dike have been completed.
Hundreds of residents in the region, many of them ranchers and farmers, are still out of their homes because of the extensive damage.
Later on Friday, Trudeau will meet with Premier John Horgan and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and provide updates on federal aid for the disaster.
Farnworth told a news conference on Thursday that residents in flood-prone areas of the province should be prepared for more evacuations as more storms roll in.
The first of three storms in the forecast arrived on Thursday, with another expected early Saturday and the most intense and final storm to hit land on Tuesday.
According to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe, rain will be heaviest Sunday and there is potential for river flows on the South Coast to reach 10- to 50-year levels or higher Sunday or Monday.
Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove, speaking Friday morning on The Early Edition, said he is "optimistic, but a little on edge," after weathering Thursday's storm and staring down the barrel of another two.
People are descending upon the city for the dozens of events and live music performances this week as the Juno Awards are set to take place Sunday at Hamilton's TD Coliseum.
For nearly two decades, Amanda Loewen's world ended where the pavement did.
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.
Members of Parliament last year went on the fewest sponsored international trips in the last 15 years, excluding the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario is running out of time to beef up rules that would crack down on negligent and misbehaving municipal politicians ahead of the next civic election, some experts and opposition critics warn.
Six London teens are each facing multiple charges following a break-and-enter spree at homes in the city's southwest end early Sunday, police said.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is putting the finishing touches on completing the Team Gushue Highway, but it means drivers might have to change their routes until later this summer.
Passage of the Nova Scotia government's budget bill stalled late Tuesday night when a group of singing protesters shut down the final vote to approve the budget.
Health Minister John Dornan said Woodstock-based eVisitNB will continue to provide virtual health-care services to New Brunswickers for another 90 days after March 31.