A desperate plea for federal support is echoing across British Columbia's waterlogged Fraser Valley, where farmers are facing catastrophic losses and an uncertain future as relentless rains trigger severe flooding. Corry Spitter, a farmer on the Sumas Prairie, measured his fate in mere centimetres as floodwaters lapped at the edge of his property.
A Narrow Escape and a Lingering Threat
While Spitter's poultry at Oranya Farms in Aldergrove were spared, the reprieve is temporary. "We came very close, but fortunately we didn't lose any poultry directly," Spitter stated, his relief tempered by ongoing forecasts of heavy rain. "We're at risk until weather patterns change." His neighbours were not as fortunate. Spitter confirmed that other farms in his immediate area suffered substantial losses of birds.
The scale of the agricultural disaster is beginning to emerge. B.C.'s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Lana Popham, confirmed that a total of six farms in the province have experienced livestock loss due to the atmospheric river event, which forced Abbotsford to declare a state of local emergency. While Popham did not provide specific numbers, industry officials painted a grim picture.
Tens of Thousands of Birds Lost, Highways Disrupted
Shawn Hall, director of the B.C. Poultry Industry emergency operations centre, told the Canadian Press that while an exact count is not yet available, the number of birds lost on flooded farms is in the "tens of thousands." He noted that 14 farms are situated within the inundated areas of the Sumas Prairie.
The flooding's impact extended far beyond barns and fields. Major transportation corridors linking the Lower Mainland to the Interior were shut down due to a combination of flooding, falling rock, debris, and high avalanche hazards. Although most highways have reopened, authorities warn they may close again if conditions deteriorate. "We're not out of the woods yet," Minister Popham cautioned, summarizing the precarious situation.
Relief from Cross-Border Flow, But New Threats Emerge
Officials reported one piece of positive news: water is no longer flowing across the border from the flooding Nooksack River in Washington state. However, the flood threat has not passed. The B.C. River Forecast Centre warned on Monday that rivers on the North Shore mountains were rising rapidly, with the Seymour River "already reaching a 50-year flow." Rainfall warnings remain in effect for the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver, with up to 80 millimetres of rain possible in higher elevations, threatening further "significant damage or disruption."
The human and economic toll is mounting daily. Thousands of B.C. Hydro customers lost power, primarily due to downed trees on power lines. The situation has reignited traumatic memories for Abbotsford residents, who faced devastating floods just four years prior in 2021. For farmers like Corry Spitter, who uttered the heartfelt cry, "We don't need to live this way," the immediate crisis is compounded by a desperate need for long-term solutions and reliable support to safeguard Canada's vital agricultural heartland against an increasingly volatile climate.
