'This is an act of God': Fraser Valley farmer warily watches as waters rise
Ed Mulder seems unusually calm for a guy who’s watching floodwaters nearly lap at his front door.
We found him and his wife, Hester, in hip waders, surveying the newly formed lakes surrounding the only home they’ve known since 1994.
“(We’re) basically in the drain of this prairie here,” Mulder tells me. “So if it comes, it’s going to come fast.”
Tuesday morning, their farm on Sumas Prairie, just over the border from Chilliwack, was one of over 1,000 placed under a mandatory evacuation order.
The highway is cut off both to the east and west. The canals are nearly full. The rivers rushing by.
Their two adult daughters and pets have found their way to friends further afield.
Mulder, his wife, and their 21-year-old son Jake have consciously chose to stay behind.
“Why stay? Help me understand,” I ask him.
“I guess it’s just part of being a farmer,” he says. “Everything we do is based on keeping (our 15,000 chickens) health and happy. And to walk away from that, it’s tough,” he adds, choking back a few tears.
We walk the property line where his front lawn disappears underneath water that’s at least two feet deep in places, and rising.
Mulder points out the wooden stakes he’s placed at the water’s edge: one for Monday afternoon, and another for Tuesday morning, a few feet closer to his door.
He’s waiting for news about the dike along Cole Road.
He’s heard murmurings of a breach, though nothing confirmed. If that happens, he tells me, their fields, their potatoes, their chickens, might be done for.
“If I see it climbing up, say eight inches,” he says, “I’m getting out of here.”
When we send a drone up to get the view from above, we catch a glimpse of his neighbours’ homes, each on their own island.
“This is an act of God,” Mulder says. “We see it on the news, other times, in other places in the world. And this time it’s our turn.”
The family pick-up is ready to go.
Mulder cracks the door open to the back set.
They’ve packed up nearly nothing, yet at the same time, everything.
“Pictures, photo albums, change of clothes,” he says.
“That’s everything?” I ask.
“That’s everything that matters.”
Update: As of 5 p.m. Tuesday the Mulders reported the water level had risen several inches and was pouring over a roadway near their property. Ed Mulder said he thought the farm would be inundated in a matter of minutes. The family has now evacuated to Chilliwack
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.