The Chilliwack
Progress Tuesday
15 Life
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Jessica Wesson hopes inspire other young women to go after their dreams.
Garden tour has a bit of everything.
Soccer Frenzy is coming July 1.
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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T U E S D AY, J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Strahl to chair spy agency ‘watch dog’ committee Robert Freeman The Progress Former Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP Chuck Strahl has been named to chair the committee that reviews Canada’s spy agency — the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. BC Civil Liberties Association president Robert Holmes welcomed Strahl’s appointment, but hoped the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) will be given adequate resources to carry out its “watch dog” duties over CSIS, especially in light of the elimination of the Inspector General’s Office. That million-dollar cut was contained in the omnibus bill that Conservative MPs approved last week. The Inspector General’s role was also to monitor CSIS, and Public Affairs Minister Vic Toews was criticized by Opposition MPs for making the cut while the committee chair was still vacant. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the appointment in a brief news release last Thursday. Strahl said it’s true SIRC shared the job of monitoring CSIS with the Inspector General, but he believed his appointment was more the result of the resignation of the former chair. He said SIRC - which meets three or four times a month — can’t function without a chair. “I wasn’t angling for the job,” Strahl said. “But when the PM’s office calls, it’s hard to say no.” “It’s an honour to do it,” he said. CSIS was given “extraordinary powers” to investigate terrorist activities around the world, but sometimes those investigations touch the lives of Canadians and their Charter rights. “This committee was put in place to ensure those rights are adequately protected,” Strahl said. Continued: STRAHL/ p20
Government of B.C. employees Mike Bristol (left) and Alex Salvaille take measurements at a resident-made berm at Carey Point on Monday. The berm was paid for, and built, by residents on Ballam, Jess and Carey roads to prevent rising Fraser River waters from damaging their properties. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
High waters to test flood protection Evacuation alert issued for residents living outside the dikes Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Flood protection projects in Chilliwack are so far holding back the rising elevations of the mighty Fraser River. But much more water is on its way. With a “high stream flow advisory” issued Sunday, officials are keeping a watchful eye on potential flooding at Carey Point — a vulnerable area outside the city’s dike system. They’ve also issued an “evacuation alert” for all residents living outside the dike, meaning those residents should be prepared to evacuate on short notice. The river rose quickly over the
weekend because of heavy rains up north. Chilliwack MLA John Les has cancelled a trip to northeast B.C. because of the threat. The Fraser River is expected to hit high-water levels not seen in 40 years. “I remember 1972 and the water (then) was much higher than five years ago,” Les told The Progress. “I think I need to stick around here.” The waters could reach 6.5 to 7 metres at the Mission gauge by the weekend, according to predictions by the BC River Forecast Centre, with estimates of 12,000 to 13,000 cubic metres of water per second at Hope. “By the end of this week, we could easily see everything out-
side the dike flooded and a large amount of seepage inside,” Les said. Despite the rising water, both the recently constructed check dam and berm structure are holding up well so far, said Will Davis, chair of the Carey Point Improvement Society, on Monday morning. “That did take us off guard,” Davis told The Progress. “But so far the berm and the check dam are doing what they are supposed to be doing. “Unfortunately these are BandAid solutions to the bigger problem we’re facing of constant erosion.” One last rush from the snow melt mixed with rain is coming
down the Fraser from the upper watersheds, but they don’t know when it will arrive exactly. Regular dike patrols have begun, and the city will activate an Emergency Operations Centre. According to its response chart, flooding of the unprotected areas could start at six metres. The arrow hit 5.8 metres Monday morning. Last year at this time, some residential properties outside the dike had to be sandbagged. Some properties are nearing that point again. Last week they were losing about 24 feet a day to erosion, or a foot an hour near Carey Point. It was “alarming” to look at the comparison photos of what’s been lost, said Davis. Continued: RIVER/ p4
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