Dear Constituents, an update from my office:
Disaster Recovery
On Thursday, July 14th officials gathered for a forum including BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, Sto:lo Tribal Council Chief Tyrone McNeil, local Chiefs, Mayors, Regional District Representatives, City Engineers, agricultural and fisheries organizations all with the goal to collectively build a strategic plan for flood mitigation along the Fraser River.
Too often municipalities are pitted against each other to compete for funding or plan projects in silos. Last November was a reminder that the river knows no boundaries or jurisdictions and flood mitigation work must reflect that reality. We will only succeed if all levels of government work together to build stronger, smarter, more sustainable flood mitigation infrastructure.
It was during a day at the Forum on disaster recovery that my office found out about another fire striking Lytton. A year after the fire decimated Lytton’s town core on the east side, a fire struck Lytton and Lytton First Nation on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire is currently out of control and has grown to over 2000 hectares (at the time of writing). Six properties have been destroyed and more than 100 people have been forced to evacuate. According to BC Wildfire Service, four unit crews, five initial attack crews, 19 Lytton First Nation firefighters, an Incident Management Team, structure protection personnel, four water tenders, 10 helicopters and a bird dog plane are all working to respond.
Evacuation Orders and Alerts are in place. Locals should continue to monitor @EmergencyInfoBC or https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/latest-news/ for updates. Reception Centres are set up in Cache Creek and Lillooet.
Two weeks ago I was at Lytton First Nation for the one year anniversary of the 2021 fire. It is heartbreaking that another fire is happening. $77 million is already on its way to rebuild fire resistant buildings. I continue to fight for Lytton.
Ottawa team visits Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon
Last week, Andrea and Riley from my Ottawa office visited and toured our beautiful riding. While they were here, they stopped by many of our local small businesses and spoke with constituents across Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. Andrea, who had never been to our riding before, was blown away by the amazing scenery of the Fraser Canyon and they both had a great time connecting with residents.
A special thanks to Paul for giving them a tour of the dairy farm and to all of the constituents, businesses, and community organizations who took the time to speak with them!
Kamloops Lake along Highway 1 near Savona.
Andrea and Riley were amazed by the views from Westminster Abbey!
Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon is home to many dairy farms, thanks to Paul for giving them a tour!
Hearing from you
In my last email, I asked for your feedback on the Parliamentary review of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Since then, there have only been 55 responses, and with an issue this important, I want to hear from as many of you as possible before sharing the results.
If you have not done so already, please fill out my survey on the MAiD review process here.
Something not political
In my spare time, I try to keep a semblance of a garden in my back yard. After a cold spring and summer thus far, I was finally able to pick some flowers last week!
Working for you
Your feedback is valued. Please do not hesitate to contact my office to voice your concerns or seek assistance with any federal government programs at 604-814-5710 or [email protected]. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook where I post more frequent updates on my work as your MP.
Thank you,
Brad Vis, MP
Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon