Pointing to several recent closures that caused major traffic disruptions on Highway 97, Okanagan MPs and MLAs are urging the provincial and federal governments to work together on a solution.
The group of six politicians gathered outside Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna MP Dan Albas’ office Tuesday (Aug. 12) to offer their own idea — pave 201 Forest Service Road (201 FSR) between Kelowna and Penticton so it can be used during emergency closures of Highway 97.
“People are going to be taking that road, as we've seen reported by local journalists, and they're getting lost,” Albas pointed out. “So this is going to happen whether or not the federal and provincial governments decide to act, but we can't tolerate that.”
The 201 FSR is a long and winding route that many Okanagan residents use during extended closures of Highway 97.
The B.C. Conservatives brought up paving the road following the that shut down Highways 97 and 97C for several hours, forcing 400 property evacuations and stranding thousands of motorists.
Albas, who is the shadow minister for transport, followed up with Langley-Abbotsford MLA and provincial transportation critic Harmon Bhanghu.
“So we decided that we would work on this, and we came up with a proposal that we think is a win-win for everyone,” Albas said.
Bhanghu added it’s about putting Okanagan residents first.
“It's about respect. I want to reiterate that. They deserve respect and to be treated in a safe way. The FSR 201 can be a lifeline for residents and businesses during Highway 97 closures, but we need the senior levels of government to act."
Residents have been telling their representatives in Victoria and Ottawa that something has to be done to help alleviate the traffic chaos resulting from a highway closure.
“I have been having a lot of conversations with people right here in this riding regarding emergency routes,” West Kelowna-Peachland MLA Macklin McCall said. “You don't want to have an emergency and say, ‘Well, what are we going to do now?’ We need to have these things in place today.”
McCall referenced the and a . Many motorists used 201 FSR to get around the closure but several vehicles got stuck in the snow covered road and ending up needing rescue.
That closure also led to the use of a rescue boat to ferry essential healthcare personnel across Okanagan Lake to Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).
“Whenever we've had issues with the bridge, that actually has a knock-on effect on a healthcare system that is already struggling,” Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew said. “If you've got doctors and nurses who are living on the Westside, who are commuting into KGH, and who are all of a sudden not able to be there, that's a really serious issue in terms of our ability to provide healthcare, which is particularly important in a crisis."
Highway 97 closures in particular have had far-reaching impacts in the Southern Interior.
“We've had constant closures where we are trapped down in the South Okanagan and Similkameen,” said Helena Konanz, Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP.
Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boutlebee echoed Konanz’s comments.
“I can speak at least in my own constituency office—I get many, many emails a day asking what's going to be done about it, because in my region, we've had the road blocked off due to several landslides, which are not even fixed at this point,” she said.
At least three major slides have shut down Highway 97 from Peachland and Summerland between 2019 and 2023. The is still under construction.
In July, . to complete the next phase of work on the slide, between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park. The work is part of efforts to stabilize the slope along the highway.
The Okanagan MPs and MLAs want the federal government to reimburse the province half of the contract and use it to pave 201 FSR.
“I believe that the federal government has a moral responsibility because it was part of the Harper-Campbell government that originally created the four-laning (Highway 97) between Summerland and Peachland, and they should be partners at the table,” Albas explained.
Albas said such an arrangement would not impact the already awarded road stabilization budget. He added that the federal government could pull its funding from several sources, including Transport or Infrastructure Canada.
“So I'm going to let the province and the feds figure out what's the best way to reimburse one another, but the simple thing is this: right now, we are going to get a road stabilization for Highway 97 under the provincial government, with no improvements to the 201 FSR."
Albas said he will be bringing the issue to the federal transportation minister.
, B.C. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar said that the province has more than 12,000 kilometres of forest service roads that provide essential access to communities, natural resources, and recreational areas.
He pointed out that his ministry prioritizes upkeep on roads that are critical for ensuring safe and reliable access for rural residents.
When extended closures occur on Highway 97, the Ministry of Forests works with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to ensure that resource roads are made available as safe and reliable alternate routes.
