The first group of Canadian Army personnel arrived in British Columbia to assist the state in the rescue and recovery of floods and landslides.
The deployment order was issued after Emergency Response Minister Bill Blair convened a case response group meeting with BC officials. request Of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 17th.
“Approved the placement of @ CanadianForces air support personnel to support evacuation operations, support supply chain routes, and protect residents from floods and landslides in response to extreme floods in southern British Columbia. . “Blair I have written On Twitter on November 17th.
Nine members of Edmonton’s 3rd Canadian Division Immediate Response Unit are currently in the state to plan and coordinate ongoing relief operations, according to a statement from the Canadian Joint Operations Command.
The exact size of the expected delegation is not yet available, but members of the army have been “identified and ready to respond,” the statement said.
British Columbia Prime Minister John Horgan spoke with Trudeau the day before, after asking the federal government to help the state “handle an imminent disaster and work with the community to rebuild it in the future” on November 17th. Declared an emergency.
State-wide emergencies will also empower residents to block panic buying and restrict access to flooded areas.
“We will introduce travel restrictions so that the transportation of necessities and medical and emergency services can reach the communities that need them,” the Prime Minister said. Press conference November 17th.
“Don’t store items. You need what you need, your neighbors too.”
He also assured British Columbia citizens that his government would restore the state’s supply chain “in a quick and orderly manner.”
Meanwhile, Dave Earle, chairman of the BC Trucking Association, is urging residents to wait patiently amid concerns about flood-induced supply chain disruptions.
“In order for people to calm down, we really need to send a message,” he said in an interview with Global News on November 17.
“The product is coming.”
All major highways between Lower Mainland and Endorheic in British Columbia were cut off when bridges and roads were washed away by record rainfall for 24 hours from November 14th.
In a press conference with Hogan, Transport Minister Rob Fleming said Highway 3 is likely to reopen due to essential emergency traffic by next weekend. However, the damage to Highway 1 and the Kokihara Highway is so severe that geoengineering evaluation is not possible until the conditions are dry.
Highway 7 between Agassiz and Hope opened on November 17 to allow passengers stranded in Hope to evacuate to Lower Mainland before being closed again for repairs. Ministry of Transport Said in a press release. However, ambulances are still accessible.
Fleming said he would prioritize the opening, repairing and reopening of roads connecting the endorheic and northern areas to Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in order to move the state’s supply chain.
“We are working on this focus with multiple partners,” he said at a press conference.
“This is a big job, but overall we are challenging and will reopen things as soon as possible.”
With files from Canadian Press
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Isaac Teo is a Toronto-based Epoch Times reporter.