Defence Minister Anita Anand says if needed thousands of Canadian Armed Forces personnel are on standby to help flood-ravaged BC. She says the military can provide both air and ground support if the province asks for that help, as well as officers who are expert in planning and logistics. She says soldiers are ready to help BC get through this crisis. Anand says the Canadian military is already supporting search and rescue efforts and has rescued more than 300 stranded motorists and nearly 30 family pets. Anand says in the 48 hours before a formal request for help, the Canadian military wa

The BC government is offering aid to eligible BC residents whose homes, properties or businesses have been affected by recent floods or landslides. The Public Safety Ministry says disaster financial assistance is available for residents in the southwest, central and southeastern parts of the province. The ministry says homeowners, residential tenants, business owners, local governments, Indigenous communities, farmers and charitable organizations that could not get insurance to cover disaster-related losses can receive up to 80 per cent of eligible damage, to a maximum of 300,000 dollars. Cla

The mayor of Abbotsford, BC is talking with Washington state Governor Jay Inslee today as the two discuss severe flooding on the Canadian side of the border. The flooding was at least partially caused by swollen rivers in the US. Mayor Henry Braun says Inslee's office reached out to him as the Nooksak River in Washington state continues to send torrents of water into BC. Braun says he's not worried about the rain coming today, but he's concerned about the amount of precipitation expected early next week.

About 40 people are defying an evacuation order for the Sumas Prairie region of Abbotsford, BC. Police Chief Mike Serr (SEER) says water levels are fluctuating and it's still a potentially life-threatening situation. Not only that, he says people who won't leave are potentially putting the lives of first-responders in danger if they eventually do need rescuing. Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun says there is an urgent need to repair broken dikes in the Fraser Valley because the forecast calls for another 80 to 100 millimetres of rain starting Tuesday.

The first group of Canadian Armed Forces personnel has arrived in British Columbia to assist with flooding and landslide rescues and recovery. A statement from the Canadian Joint Operations Command Centre says nine members from Edmonton's Third Canadian Division Immediate Response Unit are now in the province to plan and co-ordinate ongoing relief efforts. The statement says the exact size of the expected contingent isn't yet available but it says armed forces members have been ``identified and placed on high readiness to respond.'' A Hercules aircraft arrived in Edmonton last night and is st

Abbotsford, B-C Mayor Henry Braun says the town's flood-damage bill could reach one-billion-dollars.Braun has spoken to both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier John Horgan and other provincial officials about the cost of rebuilding dikes, bridges, overpasses, roads and culverts.He says he has received assurances that governments will provide whatever is needed.Braun estimates about two-thousand of the 20-thousand head of cattle in the flooded area have died and says he's concerned about predictions another 100-millimetres of rain could fall on the town next week.

B.C. is reporting 324 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 213,682 cases in the province.There are 3,380 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 207,779 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 379 individuals are in hospital and 109 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the last 24 hours, seven new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,281.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: twoVancouver Coastal Health: twoNorthern Health: twoIsland Health: oneThere has been one new

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the province is rushing to develop routes for veterinarians to access animals that survived flooding that swamped the Fraser Valley. Popham says thousands of animals have died in the region where many dairy and poultry farms are located. She says desperate farmers tried to rescue their animals but had to abandon them as floodwaters started swamping roads. She says even animals that were ferried out of barns are in poor health and need help. Popham says not all farmers had time or the means to get their animals out as water moved in.BC declared a state of

An early morning fire at a recreational vehicle dealership in Abbotsford taxed already-stretched first responders in that city even more. The blaze broke out at around 6:30 a.m. at Four Seasons RV Rentals along flood-damaged Highway 1 and quickly engulfed dozens of the units that were parked tightly together. Fire crews had trouble reaching the scene because the business is almost completely surrounded by floodwaters and crews were also hampered by the 500,000 kilovolt transmission lines directly above the flames. Fire Chief Darrell Lee says particulates in the thick smoke created by the burn