More Merritt, B.C., residents return home, but tensions are growing over the city's flood response
A second wave of residents of Merritt, B.C. were allowed to return home Saturday.
Phase 2 of the city’s return home plan was given the go-ahead following water testing results Friday.
Phase 2 includes those living between the RCMP station and Nicola Avenue. However, both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 regions remain under an evacuation alert.
“People need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice,” said Mayor Linda Brown in an update Saturday.
Phase 3 residents, or those living south of Nicola Avenue, are now allowed day visits between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
However, that area remains under an evacuation order.
For those in Phase 4, no access is allowed until further notice.
Howard McKinnon, a Phase 2 resident and the owner of multiple businesses, says some people still being denied access isn’t sitting well with community members.
“People don’t have any closure yet,” said McKinnon.
“For a lot of people, it feels like we're under martial law, with police and security and roadblocks,” he said. “That’s adding to the frustration for a lot of people, because they need to get in and see what they have left.”
City officials say they understand the frustration, but it’s simply unsafe for certain residences to be accessed.
"One of the big pieces that we've been struggling with in the Phase 3 area is ensuring that there is safe drinking water and the ability to flush sewage," said Alan Stebbing, information officer for Merritt’s Emergency Operations Centre.
“Until that’s in place, even with a boil water advisory, we really struggle to allow people to stay.”
McKinnon says neither his home nor businesses were damaged. He says he’s been helping others clean up, and warns those who have yet to come home about what they’ll experience once they do.
"It's going to be an emotional nightmare for a lot of people," said McKinnon. "For so many in Merritt, it's the end of what they know as Merritt."
With the possibility of more severe weather this weekend, Brown says the city is working closely with the B.C. River Forecast Centre, which currently has Merritt under a high stream flow advisory, though no major flooding is expected.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.