Press Release - Emergency Evacuation Route Application Submitted

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2023

Emergency Evacuation Route Application Submitted

Agassiz, British Columbia – The District of Kent and the Village of Harrison Hot Springs have officially applied to BC Parks for a Park Boundary Adjustment to Sasquatch Park, with the purpose of removing a small amount of park land to allow for the future construction of an emergency evacuation and access route. It is important to note that this project is still in its early stages of development and that no funding has been secured, nor a start date for construction determined.

According to Mayor Pranger, “the establishment of an evacuation route from the north end of Rockwell Drive has been a priority of Council for well over 20 years as public safety is of the utmost importance. We have been meeting with the various Provincial Ministers over the years and are pleased with the response received during our meetings at this year’s Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention. This joint application is the first step in the process, and we will continue to have dialogue with neighbouring First Nations communities.”

If approved, both the District of Kent and the Village of Harrison Hot Springs have indicated to BC Parks that they are in favour of returning the park boundary to its original status once the evacuation route has been established. Further, light maintenance is expected on the road once the project is completed. Some of the input from local First Nations stipulated the installation of locked gates to limit public access when not in use for an emergency as part of their conditional support of the project. The gates will be unlocked only for a declared emergency.

This emergency route is considered a priority to both local governments, due to the increasing number of climate-related incidents and wildfires. Over the past ten years, emergency disasters have led to road closures along Rockwell Drive, most recently the atmospheric river in November 2021. The path selected for the emergency evacuation route was chosen because of life safety for the public including tourists that may be trapped in the park due to wildfire and its limited impact on the environment by using existing roads and old railway grades. More information on this route is available at: www.kentbc.ca/Emergency_Evacuation_Route_Report_2020/.

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Mayor Sylvia Pranger
District of Kent
604-796-2235
info@kentbc.ca