We are all incredibly fortunate that my family of four was not killed on Hemlock Valley Rd. on Jan. 31, and I am feeling particularly lucky that it wasn’t my family given they were travelling on Hemlock Valley Rd. the evening that it collapsed — along one of the many treacherous cliffs.
Those of us that regularly travel Hemlock Valley Rd. know that an incident like this was inevitable. given how poorly maintained the road is. My understanding is that this road is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), so I am shocked that they could let it get to such a decrepit state that it became vulnerable to a catastrophe of this nature. I would challenge you to identify another road in BC that meets the criteria of (a) being under the responsibility of MOTI (b) running alongside treacherous cliffs (c) not being properly paved or maintained (d) transporting thousands of families and permanent residents annually – this last condition being the most important.
RELATED: All tourists rescued after stranded at B.C. ski resort for several days
WATCH: Sasquatch Mountain evacuation successful
With very few exceptions (thanks, Laurie Throness), the government has been completely silent on what actions they plan to take to properly address this road before a family is actually killed. I suspect this silence is your political strategy to hope this issue disappears from the media spotlight without you having to take your rightful responsibility for letting the road degrade to this state. I hope that this letter, which was sent to several members of the media and 16 other families that I know regularly travel the road further encourages you to take action.
We are all awaiting your response. Until that happens, we will continue to use our voice and vote to help prevent a family from being killed by your negligence.
Sincerely,
Aaron Nielsen
Langley
