By Canadian Press

More upgrades to improve flood resilience in Abbotsford, B.C., after 2021 disaster

Feb 14, 2024 | 2:17 PM

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Premier David Eby says his government will provide almost $80 million to help upgrade Abbotsford’s Barrowtown Pump Station, which was nearly overwhelmed in 2021 by atmospheric rivers that set off catastrophic flooding in the Sumas Prairie. 

The area is a key bread basket for B.C., and Eby says the flooding on the Sumas Prairie could have been much worse had the pump station failed. 

The record rainfall in November 2021 flooded farms, killing thousands of animals and closed highways, and washed out Interior highways and prompted a mudslide that killed five people. 

Eby says upgrading the pump station will help better withstand potential floodwaters from the nearby Sumas and Nooksack rivers, and protect the region from future floods.

B.C.’s Emergency Management Ministry says upgrades to the pump station include a six-metre wall to help prevent the possibility of the station shutting down in another flood, and replacing pump motors to improve efficiency and pumping capacity.

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The ministry says B.C. has provided almost $180 million to support Abbotsford’s recovery since the 2021 disaster. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2024.

The Canadian Press