On Wednesday, Toronto volunteers assembled more than 400 clean-up kits for families affected by severe flooding in British Columbia.

GlobalMedic, a non-governmental organization based in Etobicoke, organized packaging as part of its flood response plan. The organization will deliver these kits with the help of the Canadian Aviation Foundation.

These kits contain gloves, washing powder, disinfectant, garbage bags and cleaning supplies, which will be needed by residents in flooded areas after the crisis is over. All items are packed in buckets and can be used to scoop water. The product was donated by Procter & Gamble.

GlobalMedic's emergency project manager, Jamie Cross, said: "These families are now in an emergency crisis. They need support, but they also need support when they return home."

The Governor of British Columbia, John Horgan, declared a state of emergency in the province on Wednesday. The record-breaking rainfall caused flooding and caused several mudslides, resulting in the detention of hundreds of people in the Lower Mainland or the disruption of basic services. Many highways, streets and schools in the interior and southern regions of the province were closed. Flooding is now affecting parts of the Fraser Valley.

"I think we are all a bit caught off guard by the speed of the flood, but I think it just shows that we need to be prepared. It also shows that when a crisis like this occurs in Canada, the community can really unite," Cross said.

GlobalMedic often responds to emergencies abroad, but responds to emergencies at home because it needs help in BC, she said, adding that the organization tries to provide people with the right assistance at the right time.

"It's time for the people of British Columbia"

Towns in British Columbia, including Merritt and Princeton, have been evacuated. After the city issued an emergency evacuation request on Tuesday night, more than 100 people were rescued from Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford overnight. 

Guy Lepage, who has worked for the Canadian Red Cross for 16 years, said that any disaster reminds people of the need to prepare for shelter in place, which means they need drinking water, canned food, can openers, medicines and pet food. need.

"You never know when and what will happen. You can look at the disaster from a distance and say:'Well, that happened there. I don't need to worry.' Well, there was a flood in BC—it's just A ton of rain fell in a short period of time. This may happen here," Lepage said.

"You just need to plan ahead and be prepared. You have to be self-sufficient for 72 hours. This is the bottom line."

Jason Thistlethwaite, associate professor at the School of Environment at the University of Waterloo, says that lessons can be learned from the floods in British Columbia

Thistlethwaite stated that Canadians are insufficiently prepared for climate change and Canada is not doing well enough to protect critical infrastructure. Climate change and extreme weather will have long-term effects on the economy.

In the case of British Columbia, critical infrastructure includes highways. All four highways connecting the Lower Mainland and the rest of the province were closed due to landslides and flooding, and a month’s rainfall was dumped in two days.

"Canada is a country with extreme climates, and the weather is also extreme. We encountered a lot of bad weather in Canada," he said.

"If you add climate change, this is more or less equivalent to injecting steroids into the Canadian climate. We will see more of these extreme events, and they will become very intense." 

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