The City of Prince George’s Talktober sessions continued with last night’s discussion about the Vanway, Beaverly, and Haldi area.
Residents identified roads, ditches, and lighting as big issues for the rural community.
Malaspina Elementary teacher Jodi Giesbrecht says a stretch of Highway 16 from the Bon Voyage restaurant to Vanway Elementary is particularly worrisome.
“There’s snow buildup, it gets icy… You can’t see, and you’re trying to focus and navigate, and it’s dark. So you have to navigate between two lanes, plus the barrier, in the winter it just gets unnerving… And moose can pop out at any time.”
Several people recalled an incident where two young people were killed in a collision with a moose along that road.
Unfortunately, there may not be anything the City can do about it.
“Along the Highway itself, it’s Highways jurisdiction. So the lighting there is different funding at the provincial level. As the Mayor said, this is something the people can take to the Province,” explains City Chief Engineer Dave Dyer.
Rural roads that experience high volumes of traffic without proper lighting may be in better luck, if the City takes a similar route to cities like Surrey and Chilliwack.
“They didn’t have city lights in those areas, so we could have an opportunity with BC Hydro to get lease lights.”
Many residents took down information to take further steps to remedy the situation.
The College Heights Talktober session takes place next Wednesday.