Kathie Rennie is at a loss for words trying to convey the earsplitting rumble of a mudslide hurtling downhill through the thick of a forest.
It’s a sound she hopes never to hear again, one year after surviving the disaster that killed five people and shook British Columbians to their core.
“These big massive trees were cracking like twigs,” Rennie recalled from her home in Maple Ridge.
“I can’t really even describe it. You could feel the vibration in the ground and it was almost like an earthquake, but it wasn’t an earthquake.”
On Nov. 14, 2021, an atmospheric river drenched southwestern B.C., swallowing homes, vehicles and critical infrastructure like no natural disaster has done before in the province’s history.
Thousands of people were forced from their homes, and hundreds of thousands of farm animals died in the floodwaters.
The torrential downpour also contributed to dozens of landslides, including the fatal incident on Duffey Lake Road — Highway 99 — where Rennie was driving that day.
“Nobody is over it. It’s never going to go away. It’s just finding ways to cope with it.”
She and her husband, Gordon, had been returning from their family cabin when they came up to a portion of the highway that was blocked by debris.
While stopped there in a line of cars, they witnessed a second mudslide crash down the slope and cover the cars in front of them.
The couple and others got out right away to dig for survivors.
“Their whole lives were uprooted in 20 seconds,” she said.
“Could we have done more? Should we have done more? You deal with that.”
Dean Hopkins was a close friend of Duffey Lake mudslide victim Steven Taylor, a beloved father, husband and former rugby player from Calgary.
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He’d been leaving his northern B.C. work camp when the debris came down on the highway, Hopkins said.
“Obviously, the impact on his wife was massive. She was so distraught,” he said, “and it was a case of disbelief from his friends that such a mountain of a man could be taken away so quickly by such a tragic event.”
Hopkins described Taylor as “a force of nature on the rugby field” — a man who “lived and breathed” the sport.
He was like a “little brother,” Hopkins added, and an eight-foot effigy of him now stands by the field in Calgary where he once played.
The other victims of the mudslide were father and businessman Kevin Heffner; Brett Diederichs, a trained paramedic with dreams of becoming a firefighter; and parents Anita and Mirsad Hadzic.
A class-action lawsuit is seeking accountability and financial security for the two-year-old daughter the Hadzics left behind.
“It costs money to raise a child,” said Rennie. “I hope that the ministry recognizes that and they do the right thing and help take care of this little girl.”
The class action claims the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure failed to “properly deactivate” the old logging resource road where the second landslide began. It should have also closed Highway 99, the action claims, knowing that previous mudslides had occurred in the area and that the rainfall forecast was high on Nov. 14, 2021.
The government did not proactively warn users of the risks of using Duffey Lake Road that day, the document claims.
“This injury occurred because of the negligence of the Crown,” said attorney Robert Gibbens, who represents the two-year-old plaintiff.
“They’ve been talking about this type of situation for about 20 years with regard to improperly decommissioned logging roads and the water runoff that occurs.”
In a written statement, the ministry said it would be “inappropriate” to comment while the court process is underway.
“Our thoughts go out to the families and friends of the loved ones who lost their lives in last year’s mudslides,” a spokesperson wrote.
The lawsuit also names the province’s contractor as a defendant, alleging it failed to keep the ministry informed of the conditions on Highway 99 between Nov. 14 and 15, 2021, and failed to conduct a geotechnical assessment.
The lawsuit is not the only class action to arise from the disaster: Two Sumas Prairie business owners are also seeking damages for personal loss and destruction.
The business owners allege local authorities and the province failed to adequately warn residents of the impending disaster, limiting their ability to save their belongings.
In a Monday statement, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said he shares in the province’s anguish, but remains impressed by the resilience of those impacted.
“The past year has been tremendously difficult for people recovering from this devastating flooding – waiting for support funding, insurance payments and any needed repairs,” he said.
“And while there have been many challenges, British Columbians and communities have come together to support each other during these unprecedented circumstances.”
One year later, Rennie still has questions for the government.
“Why wasn’t the road closed? Why wasn’t it advertised on DriveBC, which we’re supposed to rely on to allow us to make good decisions and things like that?” she asked.
She plans to return to her family cabin soon, but said she won’t take Highway 99 again.
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