B.C. expands disaster financial assistance program after flooding, landslides
British Columbia has expanded emergency financial assistance for people affected by extensive flooding and landslides over the last three weeks.
The Ministry of Public Safety says the province's disaster financial assistance program is available to help eligible people recover from the impacts of a series of destructive storms between Nov. 14 and Dec. 2.
It says eligibility has been expanded to affected residents in the northwest, southwest, central and southeast regions as well as Vancouver Island.
Also Sunday, B.C. issued a warning about the potential for contamination in private drinking-water wells in flooded areas of the Lower Mainland.
The government says private wells in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley may be at increased risk of contamination due to potential overflow or failure of liquid manure storage systems after the recent heavy rains and flooding.
It says the Environment Ministry is working with agriculture operators to reduce the risk of overflow, while the Health Ministry is advising residents to assess their private drinking-water wells in flood-affected areas.
An order posted on the province's website explains the manure storage systems may have been overloaded following the emergency transport of livestock to different farms during the flooding. The post says the disposal of milk in the storage systems is also among the factors contributing to the higher risk.
Affected agricultural operations in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts are required to report to the province by Dec. 19 so the Environment Ministry can assess the risk of overflow and potentially authorize the discharge of liquid manure to land.
B.C.'s disaster assistance program is open to homeowners, residential tenants, business owners, farm owners and charitable organizations that were unable to obtain insurance to cover disaster-related losses.
It's paid out for each approved claim at 80 per cent of the total amount of eligible damage that exceeds $1,000, to a maximum of $300,000.
Emergency Management B.C. is accepting applications until March 3.
Support is also available to local governments and Indigenous communities.
The province has also cautioned that highway infrastructure is vulnerable in the aftermath of the storms and routes could close if conditions change.
Travel advisories were in place for sections of Highway 1 between Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Hope and north to Boston Bar. The highway remained closed from just north of Boston Bar to Lytton and Spences Bridge.
An advisory was also in place Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton, which is open only to those travelling for essential purposes.
Highway 7 between Hope and Mission and Highway 99 from just north of Pemberton to Lillooet are also open for essential travel only.
The Coquihalla highway remained closed between Hope and Merritt.
The province is in the planning stages of determining temporary reopening measures for that route, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.