The first group of Canadian Armed Forces personnel has arrived in British Columbia to assist the province with flooding and landslide rescues and recovery. The deployment order came after Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair convened an incident response group meeting with B.C. officials, at the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Nov. 17. “In response to extreme flooding across Southern BC, we have approved the deployment of @CanadianForces air support personnel to assist with evacuation efforts, support supply chain routes, and protect residents against floods and landslides,” Blair wrote on Twitter on Nov. 17. A statement from the Canadian Joint Operations Command Centre says nine members from Edmonton’s Third Canadian Division Immediate Response Unit are now in the province to plan and coordinate ongoing relief efforts. The exact size of the expected contingent isn’t yet available, but armed forces members have been “identified and placed on high readiness to …