On November 17, 2021, on Highway 7, west of Agassiz, British Columbia, a stranded vehicle can be seen at the site of a landslide earlier in the week. (Canada Press / Jonathan Hayward)
Vancouver — A few military members have arrived in British Columbia. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first said that there could be hundreds of troops when the federal government moved to help recover from a catastrophic flood.
The Canadian Joint Operations Command is working overnight to initiate a field investigation before nine members of the Edmonton-based 3 Canadian Division Ready-to-Responsive Unit plan and coordinate ongoing relief operations in earnest. He states that he has arrived at BC.
Other units are on alert, and once the pre-team and state government have determined where they are most needed, they will gather in the area and begin deployment.
At the same time, the C-130 Hercules is on its way from CFB Trenton, with one from CFB Edmonton and another helicopter from CFB Esquimalt waiting.
Prime Minister John Horgan declared a state of emergency in response to the floods and landslides that began on Sunday after record rainfall flooded much of southern British Columbia for more than 48 hours.
A landslide that swept a car off a road near Pemberton was confirmed dead and continues to search for more casualties. Floods have submerged most of Fraser Valley and killed thousands of livestock, what authorities call an agricultural disaster.
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