Cost of Flood High

By 250 News

1,000 jobs and more than $200 million in infrastructure  at risk because of flooding

Prince George, B.C. – The flooding of the Nechako River   has placed more than a thousand people out of work and threatens more than $200 million dollars worth of private capital infrastructure.  That’s the word from the group of business owners and representatives who met with Civic, and Emergency Services Personnnel this afternoon. “That doesn’t include the threat to civic infrastructure” says John Elmsley, the CEO of Winton Global.

The representatives say the meeting went well, it was their first opportunity to discuss their concerns with those who are making the decisions.

One of the decisions that has now been put on hold, is how the gabion dikes will be set up along River Road.  One plan puts the business offices on the wrong side of the dikes.  That will be the subject of another meeting set for this morning.

There has also been discussion about some of the concerns not yet considered for example:  fuel that is stored underground along River Road,  there are concerns about the impact on the CN tracks, there  were suggestions the water is seeping under the tracks.    When Opinion 250 called a CN spokesperson, we were told the flood is having no impact on CN’s operations.  The spokesman would not say if there was in fact water seeping under the tracks.

Communication, or lack of it, was the key issue presented to the City and Emergency Services Reps.  The City has hired Communications expert, Kevin Brown, to make sure everyone gets the information.  Brown says the meeting wrapped with several decisions:

1.       The industry group will select a rep who  will  be part of the emergency response committee and will be the prime contact for   the sharing of information

2.       Bulletins that are issued by Chief Jeff Rowland, will be  sent directly  to  the members of the industry group

3.       The City’s website, emergency link will be updated more often

4.       The whole group of industry reps can be called together at a moment’s notice if there are critical issues that the City feels their input will be welcome.

Dave Jewesson will be the industry group’s representative.

Winton Global’s CEO John Elmsley says the meeting with the Civic and Emergency reps was positive, but when asked why it has taken so long for the industry and City to talk to each other, Elmsley says “I think we have all been busy with gum-boots on, that’s part of it, and it just evolved.  If hind-site is 20-20, we would have been busy last Saturday when the water first started climbing up over the ice.”

Earlier  in the day, Public Safetyand Solicitor General John Les announced there would be compensation for those who suffered losses as a result of the flood. 

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