SOUND OFF: Communities rally together to support firefighters and evacuees

THE PAST WEEKS HAVE BEEN incredibly difficult for many communities dealing with devastating wildfire activity. The hearts of all B.C. residents are with those who have lost properties and other structures, who are worried about their future and their livelihoods. This week, the Premier pledged support and I know British Columbians will hold him to account on that promise. We cannot allow the rebuilding delays in Lytton and other fire-ravaged communities to be repeated.

I’m also thinking about those who remain on evacuation order or alert, which is incredibly stressful. These decisions are not made lightly — they are issued by local governments and First Nations, on the advice and recommendation of the BC Wildfire Service — to keep people safe. Orders and alerts can come suddenly, so please be prepared with a ‘go bag’ containing all your family’s essential items.

While it’s not okay to break the law or ignore orders, it’s critical that communities are considered in the response. We have a situation unfolding in the North Shuswap where skilled contractors who stayed behind to protect homes and structures are seeing the government block critical supplies from getting to them. The Premier himself had praised the spirit and resourcefulness of these individuals, who provided many costly items like fuel needed to run generators so water pumps would continue to operate structural protection units despite the absence of official government authorization to do so. But the government has abandoned them, blocking the flow of resources to try to force them out of the area. Our caucus has called on the government to end this blockade of vital resources immediately.

Additionally, the NDP government has yet to fulfill all the recommendations that came out of the 2018 Abbott/Chapman report they commissioned five years ago. As we continue to navigate what will be the worst fire season on record for British Columbia, it is clear concerns about wildfires and how they are handled persist as the potential to partner with locals, including First Nations, goes untapped.