Highway 16 Transportation passenger program and MLA Rice receive accolades in Legislature statement

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice celebrating the launch of Highway 16
bus service in Hazelton last year, the provincial/municipal service
which connects communities along the Highway 16 corridor is in place
everywhere but on the North Coast
(BC Gov't photo)

Claire Trevena the  Minister of Transportation provided some positive reviews on Transportation themes of the Northwest during the Tuesday Legislature session, responding to questions on the ongoing efforts from those involved in the Highway 16 transportation system,

As part of her presentation to the Legislature, the Minister made note of how the eight million dollars invested so far by both municipal and provincial governments  into the Highway 16 Transportation Action plan has provided for safe and affordable transportation for residents of the Northwest.

The cost sharing agreement between the province and participating communities has provided for a collection of bus service options that dot the region east of Terrace helping to move residents across the highway 16 corridor.

During a discussion on Budget estimates, Ms. Trevena noted how the evolution of the system came to be, making sure to hail the pressure from North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice to the then existing Liberal government over the years to bring the transit program into being.

"Again, this is something I'm very pleased that I'm able to talk about, because for a number of years after the former Attorney General, Mr. Oppal, presented his report, there was absolute inaction from the then government on Highway 16. 

 Eventually, after much pressure from my colleague on this side ...  Well, we were then on that side of the House. But my colleague from the North Coast, among them, really pushed to make sure that there was actually service on Highway 16. We now have it, and we are fully committed to it. It has been, over the number of years for the five-part plan, because of the vulnerability there.

That includes transit, transit shelters, community buses, as well as driver's education. Over the life of the project so far, it's been $8.1 million. That is a cost-share between the communities as well as the province, with the province providing capital funding."

The Minister also made note of the continued commitment of the NDP government to ensure that the Highway 16 corridor continues to offer safe, affordable and reliable community transportation in the region.





The accolades for Ms. Rice are a well deserved nod towards her perseverance on the issue, having been one of the early voices that called for a government led solution to the transportation concerns that stretched from Haida Gwaii to Vanderhoof.

Though the praise comes mixed with a more than a bit of irony, considering that when it comes to the MLA's own constituency of the North Coast, the community/provincially funded service that exists between Terrace and Prince George is still but a rumour for those living in Prince Rupert and the North Coast area.

As we've noted many times before, a decision by the City of Prince Rupert and its regional partners back in 2016 not to participate in the regional model of transportation, remains in effect today.

With the decision of the time to rely on a community group transportation proposal, with a twice-a-week option currently operated by the Friendship House evolving from that time to make for the connection to the east out of the North Coast.

The fact that North Coast remains the one area of the Northwest to refuse to participate in the government program that connects communities along the corridor, must make for a frustrating discussion theme for Ms. Rice whenever she engages the local governments in the topic.

Particularly when you consider that Prince Rupert council has never really re-addressed their original decision of a few years back now; and has yet to fully seek comment as to the interest of the residents of the community towards participation in the wider provincial/municipal program.

Tuesday's transportation review explored many more themes beyond the Highway 16 service, with the BC North Bus service and other transportation notes reviewed, you can examine the full record of the day here.

You can review more transportation issues across the region from our archive page here.

For more notes of interest from the Legislature see our archive page here.

To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.