Military assistance for flood-ravaged B.C. ends, focus now on housing and recovery

The mayor of a British Columbia community devastated by last month's floods says finding winter housing for displaced residents is his top priority with recovery efforts underway.

Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne said about 300 people from the area are still on evacuation order and about one third of them will need accommodation.

"We want to keep people in the community," he said. "If we move people out of the community, they're not going to be able to work and that's going to add another layer of stress and obstacles to overcome."

Princeton is among several flood-damaged locations that have transitioned to recovery, a stage marked by the withdrawal of the Canadian Armed Forces on Friday.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth thanked both military personnel and provincial partners for their assistance in responding to the destruction caused by unprecedented rainfall in November across the province's southwest.

Over the past month, 748 military personnel and nine aircraft were assigned to help with the floods.

Their work included filling and placing sandbags to protect homes and businesses, constructing a so-called tiger dam to stop the damage on Highway 1, and delivering more than 31,000 kilograms of food, vaccines and other supplies to Kamloops, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Vernon and Merritt.

With conditions improving, Farnworth said recovery efforts will be managed by contractors, non-governmental organizations and a specialized contingent from the B.C. Wildfire Service.

He also thanked the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta for their support during the initial response.

"In times like these, it is comforting to know that other provinces and the Canadian Armed Forces are there to be called upon to help," Farnworth said in a statement Friday.

In Princeton, Coyne said crews are making progress on water lines and a sewer replacement line, as well as other infrastructure repairs. The town's water supply has been disinfected and as soon as it delivers two weeks of negative test results, a do-not-consume order will be dropped to boil water advisory.

Housing solutions will target not only Princeton residents, but also those in surrounding communities like Tulameen, Coalmont and along Highway 3, he said. The town is working with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on support, Coyne said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges however, with communal housing no longer recommended. Without much available hotel or motel space, he said the community is looking to put up something similar to a work camp at its industrial park.

"We have water, sewer, power, everything nearby so it can be run to the buildings and then set up for the interim, so people can have a place to go and still stay in the community."