Hemlock Valley evacuees should be compensated, says MLA
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 01:10:31 +0000
A Fraser Valley MLA is calling on the provincial government to reimburse people who paid to be evacuated by helicopter over the weekend after the road to Hemlock Valley was taken out by a landslide.
Laurie Throness, a B.C. Liberal who represents Chilliwack-Kent, said that if people who get lost in the backcountry can be evacuated by search and rescue at no cost, then those who were caught up on the mountain over the weekend should have the same option.
“It could be expensive if a family went skiing for the day and they all have to get a ride back at $150 a pop,” Throness said.
On Friday evening, approximately one kilometre of Hemlock Valley Road, the only route in and out of Sasquatch Mountain Resort, was blocked and power was cut to the area, which is about 90 minutes northeast of Abbotsford.
There were about 500 people at the resort at the time, and a large racing event was scheduled to begin on Saturday. The lifts were closed for safety reasons, but generators were turned on and people were fed and sheltered for the night.
On Saturday, three helicopters began shuttling people off the hill, at a cost of $150 per person, to Chilliwack airport. About 200 people left the mountain, with the rest remaining because they had planned longer stays or had homes at the resort.
Power was restored on Sunday afternoon and a single lane of the road was opened midday on Monday to evacuate people who were still at the resort and wanted to leave. About 100 vehicles were escorted down between noon and 2:30 p.m., and more drivers were set to leave in the evening. Repair work was scheduled to resume overnight.
The road is expected to open to single-lane alternating traffic in the coming days.
Amy Spanell took a helicopter from the resort on Sunday. She was there with a group of 10 people who flew out at different times.
Spanell said the resort went above and beyond — everyone was well-fed and hydrated, accommodations were great, and when the helicopters started working on Saturday supplies were flown in for those who needed them. The cafeteria was even turned into a play area for children, with movies and games to keep them occupied.
“I am truly grateful,” Spanell said.
Brian Murphy, who has owned a home at the resort for more than 30 years and is president of the Hemlock Valley Homeowners Association, said he was impressed with how the resort and local agencies responded to the incident. He said they, along with homeowners, worked together to make sure those who had not planned to stay the night were fed and accommodated.
“Everybody came together,” he said. “I’m very happy about how this community stuck it out.”
The process of airlifting people off the hill went smoothly, and no one really balked at paying the fee, Murphy said. However, he believes those who chose to leave should be compensated.
“I think that the province, under emergency services, I think they should provide that cost to these people,” he said.
According to the province’s evacuation operational guide, First Nations and local authorities in B.C. can apply to be reimbursed for “eligible expenses related to evacuations.”
Throness said he suspects the money paid by Hemlock Valley evacuees may not fit neatly into that category because the resort initiated the evacuation and there was no state of emergency declared by the Fraser Valley Regional District. He believes that shouldn’t matter.
“I think that’s just really a bureaucratic issue and we should just cut through that red tape and reimburse people for their costs,” Throness said.
Throness didn’t know of anyone as of Monday who had applied to be reimbursed.
According to Emergency Management B.C., there was no determination that anyone was in immediate need of evacuation due to “life safety concerns,” no evacuation orders were issued, and no specific requests for assistance were made.
The operational guide also states that sheltering in place is the first or default option for protecting people, when it is safe to do so.
Emergency Management B.C. said it will consider any specific requests to ensure safety of guests and residents on Sasquatch Mountain.
Throness added that he hopes the washout will prompt the provincial government to upgrade Hemlock Valley Road, which was a forest service road. He said it needs to be properly graded and paved, particularly as the area is slated to grow.
“There’s a real future there for tourism in B.C., and we need that road for that tourism,” Throness said. “I have a view to the longer term for that area. We need that road redone, and this problem that we’ve experienced this last week highlights that necessity.”
— with files from David Carrigg and Stephanie Ip