TORONTO/OTTAWA —
Volunteer boaters who are helping to retrieve items from flood-ravaged areas of British Columbia are being told to slow down, as their waves are affecting the local farms.
B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham told reporters on Monday that volunteers need to be careful when traversing these areas.
“We really appreciate your help but if you could just keep the boat speeds down,” she said.
Popham added that several electrical transformers are already down, and bigger waves could hurt the farms that still have power.
A major route out of southern British Columbia has reopened after a brief closure.
Highway 3 — also known as the Crowsnest Highway — between the British Columbia communities of Hope and Princeton closed in both directions on Monday afternoon, before it reopened to essential traffic.
The Conservatives and NDP have called for an emergency debate in the House of Commons to address the government’s plans to combat the flooding.
“Given that this type of extreme weather is more common, we need to see investments from the federal government, real proactive investments to make communities more resilient, more prepared for what is now becoming more common,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
B.C. Conservative MPs Ed Fast and Dan Albas also called for an emergency debate on rebuilding B.C.
“The return of Parliament allows for British Columbians to see the House of Commons seized with this crisis and working together on the way forward, and this will be particularly important as the damage is assessed and rebuilding begins,” they said in a joint statement.
Abbotsford, B.C. Mayor Henry Braun said on Monday that some evacuated residents are allowed to return to their homes but are still under an alert, meaning they may need to flee at a moment’s notice.
“We are still a long way from being out of danger,” Braun told reporters.
Still, Braun added that the floodgates at the Barrowtown Pump Station remain operational and water is being pumped from the Sumas Prairie.
Queen Elizabeth II has issued a statement of support for British Columbians dealing with catastrophic flooding.
“My thoughts are with the people of British Columbia as you continue to confront the recent catastrophic flooding and gradually begin the process of recovery and rebuilding,” the statement reads, issued through Governor General Mary May Simon.
“I am grateful for the tireless work of the many first responders and volunteers who continue to provide comfort and support to their fellow Canadians during this difficult time.”
A family in Harrison Lake, B.C. whose home was damaged following a mudslide that ripped through the property were disappointed to find out their insurance will not cover them for repairs and cleanup.
Mervyn Thomas told CTV News Vancouver that their insurance will cover damage to the family’s two vehicles and boat, but not the damage to their home.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia has encouraged the Thomas family to take advantage for the government support programs to cover the costs of the damage to their home.
B.C. is bracing for a second storm as the province continues to recover from the aftermath of last week’s heavy rain, which brought flooding and landslides.
As of Monday morning, six B.C. communities are under a snowfall warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada, including the Fraser Valley, which saw thousands of residents evacuated last week. The Coquihalla Highway, which had already been partially destroyed due to mudslides, is expected to see 25 to 30 centimetres of snow from Monday afternoon to Tuesday.
Three communities in the province are also under wind warnings. Winds gusting up to 110 km/h are expected in the Central Coast, Haida Gwaii and the costal sections of the North Coast.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is also warning of possible freezing rain, localized flooding and landslides in the inland sections of the North Coast. The region is under rainfall, wind and winter storm warnings, and could see up to 90 millimetres of precipitation. In the North Coast town of Stewart, B.C., near the Alaskan border, snow is expected to melt as temperatures rise Monday, which could overwhelm or block drainage systems.
Officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada are scheduled to give an update Monday afternoon.
The City of Abbotsford announced on Sunday that a breach on the Sumas River dike had been sealed and the floodgates had been open.
The closure of the breach in the dike and the opening of the floodgates means that water is no longer flowing from the Sumas River into the former Sumas Lake bed, which was artificially drained in the 1920s to make way for farmland. Instead, the Sumas is flowing directly into the Fraser River, as intended, and the pump station is pumping water out of the former lake and into the Fraser.
The city remains under a state of emergency until Nov. 29. Abbotsford officials are also expected to provide an update on the flooding Monday afternoon.
The federal government announced Sunday that employment insurance applications would be expedited for those left jobless or displaced due to the flooding in B.C.
Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said affected residents should immediately apply for employment insurance benefits — even if they wouldn’t normally be eligible.
Amid shortages at gas stations and grocery stores, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said that British Columbians living near the border could cross into the U.S. to purchase essential supplies and return without requiring a COVID-19 test for re-entry.
The feds have also sent 500 members of the Canadian Armed Forces to help with sandbag efforts. Defence Minister Anita Anand says thousands more are ready to go if needed.
While the B.C. government has promised accommodation reimbursements for those who were forced to leave their homes, evacuees say they are still waiting.
“For those who have been waiting, we will be reimbursing accommodation costs for those who are eligible. The process for that reimbursement is being worked through right now,” Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth said during a news conference Saturday.
The province has not provided an estimated number of flood-impacted British Columbians awaiting reimbursements.
The entire town of Merritt — home to over 7,000 residents — was forced to flee to hotels and motels in Kelowna or Kamloops, unless they had friends or family elsewhere who could temporarily house them.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Nick Saban has a message for Tua Tagovailoa: Listen to experts, then decide what happens next.
Antonio Pierce had another message: It’s time to retire.
Saban, Pierce and countless others within the game were speaking out Friday about Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback who is now dealing with the third confirmed concussion of his NFL career — all coming within the last 24 months. He was hurt in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, leaving the game after a scary and all-too-familiar on-field scene.
“This has to be a medical decision,” Saban said on ESPN, where the now-retired coach works as an analyst. “I mean, you have to let medical people who understand the circumstances around these injuries, these concussions — and when you have multiple concussions, that’s not a good sign.
“I think Tua and his family and everyone else should listen to all the medical evidence to make sure you’re not compromising your future health-wise by continuing to play football.”
That process — gathering the medical facts — was getting underway in earnest on Friday, when Tagovailoa was set to be further evaluated at the team’s facility. He was diagnosed with a concussion within minutes of sustaining the injury on Thursday and there is no timetable for his return.
“I’ll be honest: I’d just tell him to retire,” Pierce, the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, said Friday. “It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it to play the game. I haven’t witnessed anything like I’ve seen that’s happened to him three times. Scary. You could see right away, the players’ faces on the field, you could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. He’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
Concern — and opinions — have poured in from all across the football world ever since Tagovailoa got hurt. It is not a surprising topic — the questions of “should he? or shouldn’t he?” continue to play — nor is this the first time they have been asked. Tagovailoa himself said in April 2023 that he and his family weighed their options after he was diagnosed twice with concussions in the 2022 season.
But Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said it’s not his place, nor is it the time, to have discussions about whether Tagovailoa should play again.
“Those types of conversations, when you’re talking about somebody’s career, it probably is only fair that their career should be decided by them,” McDaniel said.
The Dolphins said Friday that they will bring in another quarterback, and for now are entrusting the starting job to Skylar Thompson. McDaniel said the team will not rush to any other judgments, that the only opinions that truly matter right now come from two sides — Tagovailoa and his family, and the medical experts who will monitor his recovery.
“The thing about it is everybody wants to play, and they love this game so much, and they give so much to it that when things like this happen, reality kind of hits a little bit,” Jacksonville coach Doug Pedersen said Friday. “It just shows the human nature, or the human side of our sport.”
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AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this report.
BRUSSELS – Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton rebounded from a disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics by capturing Diamond League gold on Friday.
Mitton, of Brooklyn, N.S., won the competition, the final Diamond League event of the season, with a heave of 20.25 metres on her third throw.
Chase Jackson of the U.S. placed second with a throw of 19.90, while German’s Yemisi Ogunleye, the Olympic gold medallist, claimed bronze with a toss of 19.72.
Mitton, the runner-up of last year’s world championship, failed to qualify for the top eight in Paris.
Edmonton runner Marco Arop, who won silver for Canada in the men’s 800 metres at the Paris Games, was scheduled to race in the 800 on Saturday.
Olympic bronze-medallist Alysha Newman, of London, Ont., also competes Saturday in the women’s pole vault.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Greg Harden, who counseled countless people at the University of Michigan from Tom Brady to Michael Phelps, and Desmond Howard to J.J. McCarthy, has died. He was 75.
Michigan athletics spokesman Dave Ablauf said the family informed the athletic department that Harden died Thursday due to complications from surgery.
The late Bo Schembechler, a College Football Hall of Fame coach, hired Harden in 1986 as a staff consultant and student-athlete personal development program counselor.
“He meant the world to me and I could never have had the success I had without the time, energy, love and support he had given me,” said Brady, a former Michigan quarterback who went on to win seven Super Bowls in a 22-year career.
Howard, who won the Hesiman Trophy in 1991, was part of the first wave of Wolverines to count Harden as a confidant, mentor and friend.
“Greg brought wisdom, joy and his calming nature to every encounter,” Howard said. “His presence will be missed by all of us.
“Although my family and I are heartbroken, we hold on to the lessons, guidance and memories that will forever be Greg’s legacy. We are blessed beyond measure to have had him in our lives.”
Harden, who was from Detroit, earned undergraduate and master’s degrees at Michigan.
Phelps lived and trained in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after emerging as swimming star at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and worked on his mental health with Harden.
Harden retired from his role as director of counseling for Michigan’s athletic department in 2020. He still continued to work, advising student-athletes at Michigan along with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL team’s peak performance coach.
He published his first book, “Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive,” last year.
Michigan athletics announced Harden’s death, and shared statements from some of the many people who knew him.
McCarthy, a Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback, sent the school his thoughts in the form of a letter to Harden.
“You gave me the courage and belief as we fought hand and hand against the demons that I’ve spent my entire life fighting,” McCarthy wrote. “You have inspired me by your ability to unconditionally love everyone and everything.”
While many famous football players worked with Harden, he also was a trusted adviser for women and men in all sports and walks of life, including broadcaster Michelle McMahon, who played volleyball at Michigan.
“He poured his heart into thousands of students, athletes, and celebrities alike without any expectation of gaining anything in return,” McMahon said. “He dedicated his entire life to making a difference and investing in the growth of the young impressionable minds that were lucky enough to meet him.
“His captivating presence and charisma captured the rooms he walked in. Greg’s gift to the world was his unwavering ability to help people see themselves fully, in full acceptance of their flaws and their gifts. His relentless approach made it impossible for his mentees to give up on themselves.”
