By Chad Klassen

Lower Nicola resident fears her home could be gone soon

May 14, 2018 | 3:54 PM

MERRITT, B.C. — While the flow along Guichon Creek has tempered since the weekend, Lower Nicola resident Angela Miller fears that the creek could eventually take down her home — whether it’s this spring or next. 

Miller has been out of her home since May 5, and it’s clear why. Guichon Creek has eroded a big chunk of her property. 

“My property line’s along the trees, to the cliff, up the mountain. My yard’s gone,” says Miller. “That’s supposed to be my driveway. I don’t have one right now. I don’t have a way to get in and out of this house.”

It’s the second straight year angela and her family has dealt with this heartbreak, only this year, she says, it’s 10 times worse. 

Boogie The Bridge

Boogie The Bridge Event Information

Apr 19, 2024

Two and Out

PETERS: Try as he might, Allan Schoenborn will never be forgotten

2h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Sorry - did you say, 'Take your old guns to the post office?'

9h ago

“I’m completely stunned that it’s happened again,” notes Miller. “I suspected it would, but you can’t predict nature.”

Her family spent $60,000 over the winter to help re-direct Guichon Creek back to its original channel away from her property. It didn’t work, although Miller says it’s saved their home to this point. 

“We had the creek diverted last year with a lot of difficulty. We had it moved back to it original channel, which is along the treeline,” says Miller, pointing about 20 metres in the distance. “It’s all gone, all the work we put into it, it’s gone. Right now, this is what it looks like and I don’t know what we’re going to be left with.”

Meantime, excavators continue their efforts on Monday to clear debris and parts of the creek bed. The 10 Mile bridge is open to one-way traffic, and late Monday afternoon, the evacuation order for the Guichon Creek Mobile Home Park was downgraded to an alert, meaning there are now 75 residences still on alert and only six on order. 

Miller remains as one of those six on order but she’s trying to stay positive while living in a hotel for now. She fears her house will be the next to go. 

“If it hasn’t peaked, who knows what’s going to happen. I don’t know,” she notes. “I know if it stays here again like last year, I had to fight for it to be moved, my house would’ve been gone if I had left it.”