B.C.’s Public Safety Minister, Mike Farnworth, said Monday crews in flood-ravaged communities continue to remove debris and damaged material so rebuilding can begin.
He visited the hard-hit community of Princeton on Friday and walked through the waterlogged neighbourhoods.
“The scale of the flood damage is extraordinary,” he said.
The minister will visit Merritt on Tuesday.
Some Canadian Armed Forces members are heading home Monday, but a troop of 126 will remain in Chilliwack and continue to help, Farnworth said.
Around $8.6 million has been dispersed to evacuees, he added, and, starting on Dec. 15, evacuee financial support will be managed by the Canadian Red Cross and the provincial government. Farnworth said people will still access the support the same way.
In a milestone over the weekend, oil is once again flowing through the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
It was shut down three weeks ago as a precaution because of the extensive flooding and landslides.
Trans Mountain said Sunday there are no indications of any leaks or other serious damage to the pipeline.
Parts of B.C. remain under fuel rationing for non-essential vehicles until at least Dec. 14.
When it comes to the highway conditions, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said Highway 7 between Mission and Abbotsford will no longer be for essential travel only as of Monday afternoon.
Highway 11 opened to single-lane alternating traffic in both directions between Mission and Abbotsford.
Highway 3 is “holding up well,” Fleming added, but there are still a lot of crashes on that route, which is causing backups.
Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon is still closed. Crews are installing a temporary detour at Tank Hill, and work continues at Jackass Mountain, where a landslide swept away a section of highway. Fleming said he hopes temporary repairs can be in place by mid-January.
Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge is still closed with no timeline for reopening.
Crews are making good progress on sites west of Merritt to regain temporary access and allow BC Hydro crews to work in the area, the minister added.
“We are trending in the right direction and that is something we can all be incredibly proud of.”