B.C. First Nation says moving may be safest after devastating wildfires, floods

The chief of a First Nation in British Columbia's Nicola Valley that was evacuated by both wildfires and floods last year says he wants more land for the community in a safer area.

The chief of a First Nation in British Columbia's Nicola Valley that was evacuated by both wildfires and floods last year says he wants more land for the community in a safer area.

Chief Arnie Lampreau of the Shackan Indian Band told B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and Transportation Minister Rob Fleming during their visit on Thursday that the threat of extreme weather is a constant concern.

“At the end of the day, I don't want to have to sleep with one eye open or have to be running again,” Lampreau said.

The Shackan Indian Band, based along Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge, is among several communities facing difficult questions about how best to rebuild after disasters that the government has linked to climate change.

After a summer wildfire destroyed the nearby community of Lytton, B.C., a series of heavy rainstorms pummelled the area in November, causing the river to swell and whole sections of the highway to slump off the hillside.

It was the effect of so-called atmospheric rivers that washed over southern British Columbia, destroying sections of all the major highways linking Metro Vancouver with the Interior and spilling over dikes to flood farmland in Abbotsford.

The nation declared a state of emergency on Nov. 15 to implement an evacuation order for all 45 properties on its reserve. It was lifted in February for most residents.