There is new safety equipment installed along Highway 16 through Vanderhoof, a part of many updates along the corridor.
The Ministry of Transportation has installed two new webcams along the highway: one at the intersection at Highway 27, just west of Vanderhoof, and the other at Nautly Road in Fort Fraser. These will both face north, west, and east. The Ministry also installed two more, one in Burns Lake and the other in Telkwa.
Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake will also get new bus shelters, as will the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, and three communities west of Smithers.
In a statement from the Ministry, federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Carolyn Bennett says “the safety and security of Indigenous women is a priority for the Government of Canada … Investments in safety measures such as new webcams is an example of important collaboration with Indigenous people and provincial partners. Together we are now able to improve the safety and security for travellers along Highway 16 and improve the confidence, health and well-being of local Indigenous communities and their families.”
These upgrades are a part of the BC government’s $5 million Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan, aiming to improve safety along the 800 km stretch of the highway.