A number of homes along a creek in Chilliwack were protected from further flood damage this week thanks to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Basements at seven homes at Cottage Grove on Young Road were flooded after the Semiault Creek, which runs along the east side of the property, overflowed on Nov. 15 and 16.
Cottage Grove is a gated community for residents 55 and older and is made up of 34 detached ranchers.
“Cleanup was well underway when we heard that the next atmospheric river was going to be the wettest,” said Don Murray, one of the Cottage Grove residents whose home was flooded.
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That’s when they reached out to the City of Chilliwack for help.
On Saturday (Nov. 27) the level of the creek was at 1.5 feet. It rose to 4.5 feet Sunday morning and 5.5 feet by Monday morning.
“Residents were panicking, but a call from a member of city council told us the army reserves were on the way,” Murray said.
A “convoy” of city trucks and army vehicles arrived shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 29, he said.
Members of 39 Canadian Brigade Group (Domestic Response Company) and other reserve units brought in 2,200 sandbags and created a berm to protect the homes.
They worked through Monday afternoon and into the evening and finished up on Tuesday (Nov. 30).
“We have never seen such a hard working group and each member we spoke to was so polite and helpful,” Murray said. “We are so grateful to the mayor and city staff and the army reserve troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
The CAF was at Cottage Grove and many other communities throughout B.C. hit by natural disasters in support of Operation Lentus. Provincial and territorial authorities are the first to respond when a major natural disaster occurs in Canada. If they become overwhelmed, they may ask the CAF for help. When the CAF responds to such a crisis, it is known as Operation Lentus.
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