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
'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.