National

Weeks before total insured losses from B.C. flooding are tallied: insurance bureau

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Dec, 2025 11:56 AM

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says it will be several weeks before the insured losses are added up for a severe weather and flooding event that deluged parts of southern B.C.

A series of atmospheric river weather events last week led to overflows from the Nooksack River in Washington state that crossed the border into Abbotsford, forcing out hundreds, while further east the storms flooded homes and washed away roads.

Aaron Sutherland, vice-president for the Insurance Bureau of Canada's Pacific region, says the storms come just four years after the devastating flooding of 2021 in the same area.

He says recent event serves a "painful reminder of the need to build our resilience and better protect communities from the new weather reality we face," adding that insurers are working with Fraser Valley residents and farmers to process claims to get them back on their feet.

The City of Abbotsford lifted all of its evacuation alerts on Thursday, saying in a statement that it has moved from flood response to recovery as the waters of the Sumas and Nooksack rivers recede.

Environment Canada also lifted all weather alerts for the region, including special weather statements issued Thursday for strong winds over Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Howe Sound.

However, the weather office has issued a snowfall warning for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt, saying a "series of low pressure systems" will bring up to 30 centimetres Friday, with an additional 15 centimetres possible on Saturday.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau says the U.S. launched a 'very dumb' trade war and Canada is fighting back

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the U.S. has launched a "dumb" continental trade war and Canada is fighting back. He said Canada is immediately introducing 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products, and will expand them to cover another $125 billion in U.S. goods in 21 days.

Trudeau says the U.S. launched a 'very dumb' trade war and Canada is fighting back

Canadian recession looms this year if U.S. tariffs stay in place: economists

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada's response will include retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods. That will include tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion worth of American products 21 days later.

Canadian recession looms this year if U.S. tariffs stay in place: economists

U.S. tariffs set to slow pace of homebuilding in Canada: CHBA

Canada's building industry says a trade war with the United States will slow down the pace of home construction. Canadian Home Builders' Association CEO Kevin Lee says the U.S. tariffs levied against Canada today will have a "muted" impact on the industry on their own.

U.S. tariffs set to slow pace of homebuilding in Canada: CHBA

Canada and U.S. stock markets plunge for a second day after trade war launched

North American stock markets plunged for a second day as the U.S. imposed broad tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, triggering a continental trade war. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 547.26 points at 24,454.31, after U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order implementing the tariffs took effect at just after midnight.

Canada and U.S. stock markets plunge for a second day after trade war launched

B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey on track to deliver budget as Trump slaps tariffs

One day before delivering her first budget, British Columbia's finance minister said she knows that everyone is wondering how it can be done in the face of unprecedented tariffs from the United States. It is not time to make "deep cuts," Brenda Bailey told reporters on Monday, but a time to plan for uncertainty and ensure programs and services are protected.

B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey on track to deliver budget as Trump slaps tariffs

U.S. plans to nearly triple anti-dumping duty on Canadian softwood as tariffs loom

British Columbia Premier David Eby says news that the U.S. Department of Commerce wants to almost triple the anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber is a "massive threat" to the province's forestry sector. The American department issued a preliminary anti-dumping rate of 20.07 per cent, up from 7.66 per cent set three years ago, which is in addition to countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent.