Fix in the works but who will pay for upgrades to deadly Vancouver Island logging road

Anotoriously treacherous Vancouver Island road where two university students died in aroll-over accident this fallis finally getting the attention itdeserves, according to the leader of a smallFirst Nation community nearBamfield, B.C.

Chief Coun.Robert Dennis of theHuu-ay-ahtFirst Nations saidPremier John Horganhaslived up to a promise he made in September by travellingto the town to see thelogging roadanddiscuss future safety upgrades, though it is still unclear who will pay for them.

"This meeting proved to be a really honest effort to forming a working reconciliation action group, and the premier was really committed to that," said Dennis.

Emma Machado and JohnGeerdes, both 18, died Sept. 13, 2019, when the bus they were travelling in along agravel logging roadflipped down an embankmentlate at night.

TheUVicstudents were on an annual weekend field trip to theBamfieldMarine Sciences Centre, which is about 200 kilometressoutheast of Tofino by car.

Dennis said before the Septemberincident, eight community members had alreadydied in crashes related to unsafe traveling conditions on the unpaved, pot-hole riddled road.

He saidHorgan and others, including Western Forest Products, held a meeting recently and together they have the tools to make significant upgrades.

"The road ownership issue is another [issue]we have to iron out and we were very fortunate yesterday to have all of the stakeholders at the meeting," said Dennis.

Dennis says the premier directed the representatives from the Transportation Ministry at the meeting to form an action group with the First Nation to create a plan to improve the road.

Cheaper chip-seal

"Paving the road has definitely been out of the question ... [due to cost]. So, we took a different track and said, OK, how about if we chip-seal the road."

Chip-sealingis a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layersof asphalt with fine aggregate. It is often used on rural roads that have less traffic and is seen as acheaper alternative to asphalt concrete.

"The premier certainly repeated quite a few times and I had the opportunity of meeting CaroleJamestoo and their message has been that they don't have any money in this year's budget."

But Dennis said he and the community arewilling to work with the province to get the road chip-sealed, even if that means the First Nation pitches in some funds.

"We're convinced that thatthis approach will work."

Bamfield is a community of approximately 170and issurrounded by Crown and reserve landand portions of the Pacific Rim National Parkon Vancouver Island's Barkley Sound.