Trees scorched by the Donnie Creek wildfire line a forest north of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Noah Berger
VANCOUVER – British Columbia residents will get a clearer picture today about the status of the drought that has parched much of the province.
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma has scheduled a briefing with weather and wildfire experts to provide an overview of the drought situation.
Earlier this week, she urged B.C. residents to take measures to conserve water, including watering lawns sparingly, taking shorter showers and doing only full loads of laundry.
Ma said many communities are already implementing water restrictions, and further measures across larger areas of the province are anticipated.
She said much of B.C. has been in drought conditions since last winter, with B.C.’s northeast, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island being of most concern.
Premier David Eby and Ma both said this week the situation in B.C. is serious and much of the province has never before experienced the current level of drought this early in the summer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2023.
