Residents of the Lardeau Valley gathered at Argenta Hall on Nov. 27 to discuss emergencies and how to prepare for them as a community.
Lardeau Valley Opportunity LINKS Society organized the event, bringing its draft Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Plan (NEPP) as the main talking point.
“It’s a plan that we created with the input of residents, local organizations, and regional resources,” said Colette Gerin, community resilience co-ordinator with LINKS. “It’s a collaborative effort.”
The Regional District of Central Kootenay developed its NEPP program in 2020 to support groups of residents in mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies.
“Knowing the hazards that may affect us and taking steps to plan and prepare for incidents can help us tackle the challenges we face during an emergency, and to recover more effectively,” said Jon Jackson in an email to the Valley Voice. Jackson is an emergency program co-ordinator with the RDCK.
The draft plan presented on Nov. 27 follows the RDCK’s handbook and template.
While most NEPPs cover small neighbourhoods, LINKS’ plan encompasses the whole north end of Kootenay Lake, where residents are dispersed across many small communities.
Argenta, Lardeau, and Johnsons Landing have done quite a bit of emergency preparedness work, said Chelsey Jones, director of LINKS. But some of the other communities haven’t.
“The meeting was the start of having those conversations to create real resiliency, and to find those community champions to spearhead that,” she said.
Jackson said one of the most important parts of NEPPs is the planning process, when connections form between community members as they think of ways to become more resilient together.
LINKS received a Small Community Wildfire Readiness Support grant from Columbia Basin Trust last November, which helped them get started on the project. Jones and Gerin used interviews with Lardeau Valley residents as a base for the draft plan.
“[With the funding] we were able to present a full report to the community,” said Jones. “We talked to community leaders and knowledge holders, and now we’re opening it up to the community to fill in the gaps.”
For Gerin, the interviews highlighted the importance of local knowledge.
“Residents are the ones who know,” she said. “They’re the ones on the land, monitoring the landscape, watching if the river is changing behaviour. … They’re the ones who can really see the changes.”
Gerin said the timing of the Argenta Creek wildfire this year was “incredible” and an excellent example of local knowledge.
The Argenta Safety and Preparedness Society had been working with Living Lakes Canada to develop a water map – an official document mapping civic addresses, standpipes, and other water resources. It was published right before the wildfire hit, providing BC Wildfire Service with valuable information and solidifying its trust in the local fire brigade to support its efforts.
“This was a keystone to making this collaborative effort happen,” said Gerin.
And the brigade’s 20 years of preparation for emergencies like this didn’t hurt either.
“To make that kind of response possible, groups need to be organized and need to plan ahead of time,” said Jones. “We’re hopeful [the NEPP] can help some of the other communities that are perhaps less organized.”
Jones noted that the people living in the Lardeau Valley are resilient and independent by nature, which is what makes the plan so exciting for LINKS.
“Everyone living up here has skills and strength, otherwise they wouldn’t be here,” she said.
The meeting was an important moment to empower residents to recognize what they have to offer the community. Some are passionate about providing food resources, others keep a special eye on residents with extra needs. There are machine operators, communication experts, FireSmart champions, and scientists.
“During the wildfire season, which was quite traumatic, this was the highlight – how many people would dare to volunteer,” said Gerin. “That part was the most beautiful experience I’ve had recently, in terms of community.”
Jones has lived in the valley since 2011. Gerin is new since March. Both arrived looking for a different kind of life.
“You have to be an idealist to live here,” said Gerin. “Everyone is looking for a better life and it feels like in this community it’s possible, because everyone has created something. There’s a lot of creativity.”
When Jones first moved, she was more isolated than she is now.
“That’s why I do the work that I do in the community because the truth is, it’s too much to do it all on your own,” she said.
A Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Plan fits right in with the Lardeau Valley’s ethos – more resilient together.
“We can all contribute in our own ways,” said Jones, “to make sure everyone feels valued and like there’s a place for everyone.”
LINKS hopes to complete the plan in the new year.