Lengthy road to recovery lies ahead for Sumas Prairie blueberry farmers
For blueberry farmers in Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie, decades of hard work were washed away with one fatal blow from Mother Nature.
"They spent their lives working on it; they lost their houses, and now their livelihoods,” said Jason Smith, chair of the B.C. Blueberry Council. Smith is also the owner and operator of Fraser Berry Farms in Abbotsford.
Smith says his Matsqui property, north of Sumas Prairie, avoided major damage during the atmospheric river that pounded down on the Fraser Valley in mid-November. However, he says he won’t walk away unscathed.
“I had about three feet of water in the fields for about five days,” Smith said. “I’m concerned with all the extra things I’m going to have to do because of how long the roots were under water.”
Smith says a pricey rebuild lies ahead, but it’s nothing compared to his fellow growers down the road in Sumas Prairie.
“Some guys still have five, six feet of water in their fields,” he said.
Smith says the blueberry industry as a whole in B.C. won’t suffer much, as the region only accounts for a small percentage of overall production, but for those affected, a full rebuild is far from a sure thing.
“I can’t see how those plants will ever recover fully,” he said. "If we’re talking long-term, it’s two years to get plants, you're looking at another eight-plus years to hit maturity to get back to where they were."
“Are you going to risk five years trying to recover those plants to get them back to half of what they were?”
Smith estimates the areas that were significantly impacted by the floods account for between five and nine per cent of the industry in B.C.
“The majority of the industry is ok,” he said. “That being said, there’s a lot of growers that have been seriously impacted, and they can’t be forgotten, because none of this is their fault.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.
Tabloid publisher says he pledged to be Trump campaign's 'eyes and ears' during 2016 race
A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be Donald Trump 's 'eyes and ears' during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress stories that had the potential to harm the Republican's election bid.