The British Columbia (BC) government on Friday announced that it is limiting the amount of fuel people can purchase at gas stations in some parts of the province and is restricting non-essential travel as highways begin to reopen following torrential rains that caused floods and mudslides.
Provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said non-essential vehicles would be limited to about 30 liters per trip to the gas station. The order is expected to last until Dec. 1.
“These steps will keep commercial traffic moving, stabilize our supply chains and make sure everyone gets home safely,” Farnworth told a news conference. “We are asking people not to travel through severely affected areas, for their own well-being, but also to make sure the fuel we do have goes toward the services people need in this time of crisis.”
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Environment Canada has said 24 BC communities received close to 100mm of rain from Saturday last week to Monday.
The precautionary closure of the Trans Mountain Pipeline during the flooding has raised concerns about a fuel shortage in the province’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Assessments of the pipeline continue.
Farnworth said police would not patrol gas stations to make sure customers are complying with the new restrictions.
“The majority of British Columbians will do the right thing,” he said. “If we are greedy, we will fail. It’s that’s simple.”
The government also has prohibited non-essential travel on sections of several highways.
Provincial Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said vehicles transporting essential products or delivering vital services can use the highways.
So can people returning to their principle residences after being stranded.
“It is not open to recreational or non-essential travel,” he said.
Fleming said the highways between Vancouver and Hope, and from Hope to Princeton had been opened to vehicles.
“This will re-establish a vital link allowing for the movement of essential goods and services,” he said.
A section of highway near Pemberton, where one person is confirmed dead in a landslide that swept vehicles off a road and a search continues for four people believed to be missing, could be open by today.
Fleming thanked the federal government for announcing “some very helpful measures” to fast-track BC truckers traveling to the US.
The US is temporarily relaxing some permit requirements so that BC trucks can cross into the US’ Washington state then re-enter Canada past the damaged highways.
British Columbia Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham said 959 farms remain under an evacuation order and 20,500 hectares remain affected by the flood.
Also, 35 veterinarians, many from Alberta, are on standby to assist the province.
Fleming said there is no timeline for when temporary and permanent repairs would be completed to the highways or estimates for what the costs would be.
“It’s going to be very, very significant,” he said.
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