Water levels have been dropping in Williams Lake, and this is welcome news for our community. However, though this news is encouraging, we are not out of the woods yet - we all must continue to minimize water and sewer usage.
I am calling on all our residents to keep fighting, remain vigilant, and not lose hope as we work together to overcome this challenge.
While it is still important to consider implementing preventative measures, it is time we look at rebuilding and repairing the roads, bridges, fields and fences that have already been affected.
It is essential for our communities that we act swiftly to get activity up and running again. Ranchers need fences to keep their cattle contained, road-access to their properties, and need fields to be cleared so they can seed.
We rely on this infrastructure for the livelihood of our communities, and repairing it as quickly as possible will be key in minimizing the long-term impacts of the floods. However, it is not reasonable for our ranchers and affected individuals to foot the bill alone. We will require financial assistance from our provincial government, and it needs to come now.
I have written to the Minister of Public Safety and the Premier requesting immediate help and have still yet to receive a response. It is unacceptable that we are being ignored during our hour of need, and sends a message to the Cariboo-Chilcotin that we are not a priority.
I will continue to do my best to relay the situation to the government so they can provide relief quickly, but so far the urgency of the message does not appear to have understood.
My thoughts are with those who have been affected, and know that I will not let this issue fall through the cracks.
Donna Barnett is the Liberal MLA for the Cariboo-Chilcotin.
news@wltribune.com
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