Power back for Old Fort residents after landslide, some returning home
Minister of public safety emphasizes role of local government in emergency preparedness
Life is starting to return to normal for some residents of Old Fort, B.C., who had to evacuate after a slow moving landslide threatened their homes earlier this month but many continue to live in limbo.
Power was back for 57 homes Tuesday morning in the small community near Fort St. John that had been without electricity since the landslide damaged B.C. Hydro lines on Oct. 6.
A few of the nearly 200 residents evacuated have been allowed to return home, although the majority are still staying in hotels or with friends.
"I was in there last week grabbing a bit of stuff and it was very emotional," said Brendan Feilderg, who doesn't know when he and his young family will be able to return permanently.
He's been back to get clothes, tools, guns and other items and to empty the fridge of the "rotting food" left behind.
"We just moved here so we wouldn't have to move again and here we are, living in a hotel now," he said.
The regional district is now issuing special permits allowing 4x4 vehicles to be driven out of Old Fort, if they're used to sustain a business.
Residents still require a permit to enter the community because the landslide remains active.
Minister of public safety responds
Some residents have expressed frustration at not being allowed to return home nearly a month after the landslide and not knowing when they will be able to.
But Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said safety remains the primary concern.
"We have been doing everything we can to make sure that when it's safe to return to home, that's when they can do it," Farnworth said.
He recently toured the landslide area and described the scene as "dramatic" with cracks in the hillside and "trees bent like matchsticks."
"An emergency is very challenging and the Peace River Regional District has done remarkable work in dealing with this situation," he said.
Brad Sperling, the chair of the Peace River Regional District, told CBC in a previous interview that these types of severe emergencies are too much responsibility to place on local government.
"We stand up and we do what we have to do but I just don't believe it should be placed on any regional district," Sperling said last week.
"The province has taken away liability from them and they've placed it on the regional district."
Farnworth said the province provides support to regional districts but emphasized that it is ultimately local government's responsibility.
"That is not something that is new but that is something that has been in place for a very long time and that's why local communities develop emergency plans based on the risks in their particular area," he said.
With files from Daybreak North.