By Andrea Arnold
McBride residents have a reputation for taking care of each other. The mudslide on Mountain View Road Saturday July 4 has been another opportunity for people to step up and help care for their neighbours. This is by no means an exhaustive account of the generous hearts in the Valley.
The families that were evacuated have all found places to stay through friends or other family members. Facebook has been a hub for offers for services, deliveries, or items if needed.
For those on the other side of the slide, home phone service has been affected. Telus sent local employee Kevin Chiupka some preactivated cell phones for residents to use until service can be restored.
The Elks and Royal Purple supplied dinner to evacuees on Monday. When the call was put out for how to reach those people, the offers to help poured in as well.
On the other side of the slide, rides across the river from boat owning residents were available before the water taxi service was put in place. This allowed people a way to get to work, or to get supplies right away.
River Safari from Blue River was brought in quickly to provide emergency access to those on the other side, and mid-week their services changed to include scheduled trips across the river for residents. Following one of the trips across the river, evacuee Joyce Godfrey received a shipment of library books delivered by one of her neighbours.
The Monroes, along with Glen Hooker have worked tirelessly to redirect the creek back to the culvert and original bed., achieving this on Friday. However, rocks and other debris can still be seen/heard bouncing down the creek creating a need for constant surveillance and cleaning to prevent the culvert from being blocked.
Residents on both sides of the slide were eager to get their hands dirty and as soon as possible started clearing mud and debris from the roadway. As a result, Friday evening the announcement was made that starting Saturday morning, a week after the slide, the narrow road would be open for two hour windows in the morning and evening, for traffic to get through with a pilot car. This will also allow access for commercial vehicles such as delivery trucks, fuel trucks and milk trucks. These windows may close due to changes in weather and as safety is assessed.
There continues to be a need for support for not only those who have lost things, but also those who have lost work, sleep, as well as the feeling of security and wellbeing. As the days pass, more impact is being felt by everyone directly or indirectly impacted by the slide.
For the Moore’s who lost their home in the slide, a GoFundMe page has been set up: https://ca.gf.me/v/c/q23y/elderly-couple-lose-everything-in-debris-slide
