It took more than 25 years for Rhonda MacDonald and her family to transform their 41-hectare property on the Shackan Indian Band Lands, west of Merritt, BC, into a vibrant business and homestead—but a massive 2022 debris flow changed everything in just 25 minutes.
It took more than 25 years for Rhonda MacDonald and her family to transform their 41-hectare property on the Shackan Indian Band Lands, west of Merritt, BC, into a vibrant business and homestead—but a massive 2022 debris flow changed everything in just 25 minutes.
“It was too fast to even comprehend,” explains MacDonald, who runs a ranching and hay business on the property with her husband, Wayne.
“I remember when it was over, I was futilely trying to save our yard with the bobcat, and then I just stopped and looked at what used to be our hay field. My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t wrap my head around the devastation.”
Read More: University of British Columbia
A member of the Nicomen Indian Band discusses how their land and water supply has been negatively affected by post-wildfire debris flows with representatives from the Ministry of Forests and UBC Okanagan. (Photo Credit: Dr. Dwayne Tannant)
