Squamish is a community bisected by a four-lane highway. In recent years the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the District of Squamish and others, have done an admirable job of ensuring decent pedestrian connections across Highway 99 - as three pedestrian overpasses (one that has real artistic value but cost more than $2 million, with some of that cash thanks to the Feds) and a vehicle and pedestrian underpass.
But local and, especially, provincial decision-makers have done a poor job of minimizing the frequency and severity of Highway 99 crossings for animals.
We're not privy to any statistics, but anecdotally, just in the past few months we've heard reports of more than one elk - a large animal even when it's of the smallish Roosevelt variety found around here - having been hit in the highway in Squamish, and there have been numerous incidents of bears having been struck. Those include the death of a mother and two of her three cubs in an incident last September south of Depot Road. The lone surviving cub was recently released back into the wild.
Bears, elk and deer are large animals and in addition to the danger to the animals, such animal-vehicle collisions are a significant public safety risk.
A few months ago, the District of Squamish sent along a list of measures that could be taken to reduce that risk. They included lower speed limits, erecting barriers or adding lighting. None, in the opinion of MOTI officials, was feasible.
In other places, significant efforts have been made to facilitate the movement of wildlife and minimize the risk of a collision. The Trans-Canada Highway through Bow Corridor in Alberta is dotted every few kilometres with wildlife overpasses -which come with price tag in the 10s of millions - and underpasses. In Squamish, though, the only underpass that could work for animals runs next to the Mamquam River Bridge, when what's needed are multiple passages at key crossing points.
We still think better lighting along certain stretches -Depot to Garibaldi, for example - is worth exploring. Mayor Kirkham says local officials will keep the dialogue going. We can only hope it yields results in the not-too-distant future.
