This morning, I spoke to a good friend of mine, Vic Carrao of STS Guiding in BC, to get a first-hand update on the flooding that is taking place in that part of the country, and I’ll be honest with you, I was shocked at the extent of the devastation that is taking place in that part of Canada right now.
Rhonda Viaucaron/Castanet 
THE CANADIAN PRESS
With thousands stranded and forced from their homes, Vic, along with a number of other fishing guide operators with jetboats, are running search and rescue missions up and down the Fraser Valley. This effort is helping support public agencies such as firefighters, police, and other local emergency services, from Merrit to Vancouver, picking up the countless stranded folks – many of which are running out of potable water, food, and natural gas and propane for heat.
“The situation is far worse than most people realize because of the impending cold weather that is moving in,” said Vic Carrao.
“The forecast is calling for overnight temperatures to drop to minus 9 over the next couple of days which will turn a bad situation into a nightmare.” Vic went on to say the only positive thing is the amount of love and support from all of the local communities in the valley.
With roads closed and access to the flooded areas limited, boats have been one of the best ways to access some of the harder-hit areas. This, however, is also becoming a more difficult task.
According to Vic, the jet boats are beginning to bog down and overheat due to the incredible amounts of debris in the water. This same debris is also posing serious threats to the fish that are at the peak of their spawning season, as this same debris threatens to suffocate their eggs and prevent them from hatching.
If you would like to lend a hand, there is a Go Fund Me set up. I strongly urge everyone reading this that has ever participated in the enjoyment of fishing, or any other outdoor activity across Canada, to give whatever you can spare to help pay for some of the basic essentials that our brothers and sisters in BC’s Frazer Valley are going to need in the days ahead.
Fishncanada.com is pledging $500.00 and sending out a challenge to anyone in the fishing industry, from media to bait and tackle manufacturing and distributors to retailers, to please join us in helping a part of our community that is suffering and in need. The link can be found below: