This Wednesday was another day from hell in the winter that just won't end. For anyone unlucky enough to be travelling north from Gibsons, slippery snow on top of black ice made the trip a nightmare. And while heaven only knows what the highway was like before daybreak, at 8:30 a.m., for those inching their way along the Sunshine Coast's only highway, the local road was a slick trick. We have to wonder: Where was Capilano Highway Services? The men in the shiny yellow trucks were conspicuous in their absence, just as they were from the road safety forum held Feb. 24 at the Gibsons Legion - a fact that didn't sit well with the folks attending the meeting last Saturday or the people stewing, wasting precious gas, on Wednesday. How are road conditions monitored anyway? And just what is considered good service? These were questions asked by the many people who've been snowed in frequently this winter. Garry Nohr, the Sunshine Coast Regional District Area B director from Halfmoon Bay, was one of many wanting answers at the forum. After being weather bound a full six times this winter, it wasn't hard to tell Nohr's patience was at an end.
Another disconcerting thing on Wednesday was the lack of knowledge as to what was actually happening. Motorists were getting out of their vehicles to try to see what the holdup was - dangerous at any time but especially so when the road is like a prairie skating rink. Where was someone in authority, be it police or highway maintenance, to warn of treacherous conditions? The fact that no yahoo tried to go around the idling motorists was more luck than good management.
Lack of communication of road difficulties was a another concern raised at the Feb. 24 meeting. After the accident at Poplars Trailer Park in early January, traffic was rerouted to unknown roads. In the pitch black, huge tractor trailers, logging trucks and regular traffic were trying to manoeuvre through what were essentially lanes barely wide enough for two cars to travel at the same time - a frightening trip at the best of times. On a rainy night in winter, it was anxiety inducing. Our highway is our lifeline. All we ask of the powers that be is recognition of that fact.
