Highway 1 reopens between Abbotsford and Chilliwack, Tiger Dam removed
Highway 1 through Abbotsford reopened just after 2 p.m. Thursday.
“I know it has been hard on people and families as we worked to protect this vital highway, but the results are very good,” said Transportation Minister Rob Fleming.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun called the reopening "great news" during his afternoon update on the flood situation.
The mayor said Abbotsford police escorted the first vehicles through the previously closed portion of the road to ensure the road is clear and safe.
"This is great news not only for our residents, but also for people, goods and services to be able to once again access this key transportation corridor," Braun said.
Before the highway could reopen, work began around 7:30 Thursday morning to dismantle the Tiger Dam on the highway near Cole Road.
BC Dairy says the highway reopening is a “significant milestone and will help farmers within the flood zone receive better access to services they need.”
The BC Chicken Marketing Board calls the reopening a “relief,” saying it’s been difficult to get essential service trucks from farms through.
The city lifted evacuation orders for Huntingdon village Wednesday night, but evacuation orders for the rest of Sumas Prairie remain in place.
The mayor said Thursday that the city expects to be able to begin lifting other evacuation orders in the next few days. However, he once again repeated that the former Sumas Lake - a low point on the prairie approximately 4.5 kilometres in diameter - would take weeks to drain.
The city's Barrowtown Pump Station reduced water levels in the lake by about seven inches over the last 24 hours, Braun said. He estimated the floodwater in the former lake is between five and six feet - or a little less than two metres - deep, and said it will likely be two to three weeks before the pump station can remove all of the water that remains.
The dam over the highway was built Sunday evening as worries grew that the Nooksack River south of the border would overflow as more heavy rains came.
A Tiger Dam is a series of large, water-filled tubes used to create a barrier against flooding.Crews work to dismantle a Tiger Dam in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (Michele Brunoro / CTV News Vancouver)
Crews work to dismantle a Tiger Dam in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (Michele Brunoro / CTV News Vancouver)
Crews work to dismantle a Tiger Dam in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (Michele Brunoro / CTV News Vancouver)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
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.
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.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
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.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
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.