A fire has broken out at an RV holding centre in Abbotsford as much of the community deals with record flooding. Officers and firefighters are on scene of the blaze just east of the Whatcom Exit near Highway 1. “There are a number of RVs on fire,” Abbotsford Fire Chief Darren said, adding there are no injuries at this time. “They are being very mindful of the powerlines,” he said about the hazards crews are facing, noting they are working to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby propane station at this time. The fire is engulfing much of the facility, with at least 100 recreational vehicles ablaze. The flames have also sent thick, dark smoke towering into the air.
A dire situation in Abbotsford has also brought the community together, with hundreds of volunteers showing up last night to help fill sandbags amid major floods. This is despite officials asking people not to show up at the Barrowtown Pump Station, as waters continue to rise. One man who joined the effort says groups began showing up shortly after the city’s mayor made a desperate plea, asking those in the Sumas Prairie area to leave their homes immediately amid an evacuation order. There are 300 people that have not yet left.
The R-C-M-P are asking anyone who witnessed a landslide along Highway 99 near Lillooet or who believes their loved one is missing to contact them. That’s after Mounties reported a woman’s body was recovered yesterday. Police say the number of people unaccounted for had not yet been confirmed, but investigators had received reports of two missing people.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced this morning that Ottawa is sending in the military to help with evacuation efforts, support supply chain routes and protect residents from further
flooding or landslides across southern B-C.
Volunteers in Surrey have handmade more than three thousand meals which will be sent to Hope via helicopter, and given out to people still stranded there The Volunteers have been prepping food at a Sikh temple after a former truck driver, says he got dozens of calls from his friends who have been unable to leave the area since Sunday. In addition to prepared, vegetarian meals, the group is sending jugs of milk, donuts, bread, and fresh fruit.
The lights from the Surrey Santa Parade will not shine again in Cloverdale this year. There were a few different factors that pushed them to cancel including communication from the City of Surrey to avoid putting on events that generate large crowds and avoid putting on events where you can’t have social-distancing.
BC health officials announced 324 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 213,682. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 3,380 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 379 individuals are currently in hospital, 109 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Broken down by health region, the new cases and total active cases are as follows:
- Fraser Health: 108 new cases, 1,221 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 60 new cases, 492 total active cases
- Interior Health: 50 new cases, 622 total active cases
- Northern Health: 73 new cases, 507 total active cases
- Island Health: 33 new cases, 479 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: No new cases, 59 total active cases
There have been seven COVID-19-related deaths over the past 24 hours, for a total of 2,281 deaths in BC. This includes two deaths in Fraser Health, two in Vancouver Coastal Health, two in Northern Health, and one in Island Health. To date, 91.2% of all eligible people 12 and older in BC have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 87.4% have received their second dose. From November 9 to November 15, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 60.8% of cases, and from November 2 to November 15, they accounted for 71.9% of hospitalizations.
Past week cases (November 9 to November 15) – Total 3,133
- Not vaccinated: 1,755 (56%)
- Partially vaccinated: 149 (4.8%)
- Fully vaccinated: 1,229 (39.2%)
Past two weeks cases hospitalized (November 2 to 15) – Total 342
- Not vaccinated: 219 (64%)
- Partially vaccinated: 27 (7.9%)
- Fully vaccinated: 96 (28.1%)
Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (November 9 to November 15)
- Not vaccinated: 223.3
- Partially vaccinated: 62.7
- Fully vaccinated: 27.9
Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (November 2 to 15)
- Not vaccinated: 45.4
- Partially vaccinated: 17
- Fully vaccinated: 2.1
The B-C Green Party says the N-D-P government waited too long to declare a state of emergency due to flooding that has devastated communities and displaced thousands of British Columbians. Party leader Sonia Furstenau says Premier John Horgan should have acted days ago when the effects of torrential rainfall were becoming clear. She says that would have helped residents prepare for disaster and change their travel plans before hundreds were stranded in their vehicles and at least one person was killed due to mudslides. Furstenau says impacts of climate change are going to continue to accelerate and the province must learn from this year’s failures to warn the public in cases of extreme weather.
British Columbia’s top doctor is urging people to take extra COVID-19 precautions during the respiratory season and as colder weather pushes gatherings indoors. Dr. Bonnie Henry also told a news conference that she anticipates Health Canada will be issuing recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 soon and — if approved — should be available for before the holidays.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan has declared a state of emergency because of massive flooding in the province. Horgan says the declaration will preserve basic access to service and supplies for communities across the province. He says the government will bring in travel restrictions to ensure that essential goods and medical and emergency services are able to reach the communities that need them. Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is talking to B-C officials about how best to help in what he has called this “terrifically bad situation.”