Abbotsford scraps idea to build levee

The levee project that would have impacted 22 homeowners in Abbotsford will no longer be built.

“As with all things with emergency situations, things are very fluid,” Mayor Henry Braun said Friday. “I need to be very clear, the levee option is no longer being considered and will not be built.”

Crews are now building a temporary replacement for the dike in the flooded Sumas Prairie area.

“The repair work will be finished before the next rain event, anticipated for early next week,” Braun said.

The previous plan was to build a 2.5-kilometre levee next to the Trans-Canada Highway, south of the breach in the dike near the end of No. 3 Road. The 100-metre breach has been letting water in from west to east, prompting concerns that Chilliwack could be impacted by more flooding in the coming days.

Mayor Braun says the idea was scrapped because condition have changes.
"The water has equalized on both sides so we don't have water pouring into the bowl. And so when we learned this new information, we had some options that we didn't have before."

— Lasia Kretzel (@rhymeswpretzel) November 19, 2021

The dike has been weakened, Braun said, adding “to what degree, we do not know,”

He says his focus is on getting the floodgates open.

“I am concerned that we get that repair done so we can channel that water to the levees or to the floodgates, which still we still can’t open. The water during the night only dropped like six inches. I was hoping it would be two feet. Well, it didn’t. So we have to wait.

“We cannot open those floodgates until there’s at least a foot differential between the Fraser River and the Sumas River and the minute that happens, we’re opening them up, which will really contribute to letting a lot of that water out — seven times more, actually, than the pump system that we have there.”

Mayor Braun says "I can see that whole structure, that whole dike, having to be rebuilt to a higher standard."

— Lasia Kretzel (@rhymeswpretzel) November 19, 2021

According to the mayor, 680 people remain out of their homes from the Sumas Prairie area, including more than 60 people who will be staying at the evacuation centre at the Tradex again Friday night.

Braun says when the water recedes from the roads, he’s fairly certain there will be structural damage.

“I can see that whole structure, that whole dike having to be rebuilt to a higher standard.”

More animals rescued

As the Sumas Prairie area remains flooded, with water levels still too high to open the floodgates at the Barrowtown Pump Station, the last day has been critical in ensuring animals left behind have food and clean water.

Asked about access for feed trucks delivering food for animals, Braun said 15 vehicles were on the move, though some roads still aren’t accessible.

“We have erosion to three feet deep. There’s asphalt that’s crumbling. If they’re trying to get on those roads, somebody is going to get killed. They’re going to die.”

Rescue efforts by farmers and volunteers continue, with many even loading up livestock into their boats or vehicles in order to get them out of several feet of water.

And here’s the owner! Ravinder Kaur happy to be reunited w/ her 2 dogs + cat which she had to leave behind at farm when evacuating. Last few days have been tough but she says today is a good day now that she has her pets (minus one cat still on porch w/ food/water) @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/xHviz3oY0a

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) November 19, 2021

Ravinder Kaur was reunited with her two dogs and cat after she had to evacuate her home.

“I don’t care about the house. You can get a house anytime,” she said about her priority being her pets and loved ones first and foremost.

Related Articles:

• How to help British Columbians impacted by floods, mudslides

• Abbotsford poultry farmer forced to leave thousands of chickens to die in the floods

• Langley animal group, SPCA offer help to flood-displaced pet owners

The city has issued a boil water advisory for the Sumas Prairie water distribution system after it restored the water supply.

With files from Monika Gul