A petition started in November of last year calling for safety improvements to a hazardous section of Highway 16 known as "Jail Hill" has seen success.
The petition was started by Natalie Anthony.
“Last November, I saw a deer suffering after being hit on Jail Road,” said Anthony. “It was really upsetting to see. Then, hours later, I found out on Facebook that another deer had been hit in the exact same spot and also died. So, those two collisions within hours in the same location were really shocking. That’s when I felt someone needed to do something. I wanted to bring attention to the issue and push for changes to help protect animals and drivers on that section of road.”
Anthony, who had recently moved to Prince George from the Lower Mainland, was unfamiliar with wildlife crossings on highways. She notes that newcomers or travellers unfamiliar with the area may not realize how common wildlife collisions are and therefore wanted to improve safety for those unfamiliar with the area.
She also told The Citizen that the road was particularly dangerous due to a lack of lighting, wildlife signs, curved roads, foliage around the bends, and frequent blind spots.
Anthony began the petition with hopes of gathering a few hundred signatures but was soon overwhelmed by support from the Prince George community.
“It’s at just over 1,200 signatures now,” she said. “In the weeks after I saw that deer, there were reports of dead deer and moose almost daily on that same section. I was surprised by how many stories people started sharing on the petition. There were close calls, totalled vehicles, and most of the incidents I never would have known about if it wasn’t for the petition, since wildlife is often removed so quickly. I thought a few hundred signatures would be good to show support, but the petition has grown to over 1,200 signatures now. It shows just how many people have been impacted and want to see change.”
Notably, Anthony was stunned by the more than $200 raised for the petition, even though she hadn’t asked for donations.
“It was when I noticed that people were donating their hard-earned money to boost the petition. Right now, people have donated a combined total of $262, which made me feel like, okay, I really can’t let people down now. It’s one thing to share the petition or sign it, but it’s another to donate money; they really want to see these changes made.”
Improvements to the highway began shortly after she put out the call. Anthony also told The Citizen that improvements that were already in the works on Highway 16 may have been prioritized due to the petitions success.
“After the petition was launched, deer warning signs were installed at either end of the section I was raising awareness about,” said Anthony. “One at the end of the Yellowhead Bridge heading east and another deer crossing sign heading west, just past the boundary road intersection. Both the Honourable Mike Farnsworth, minister of transportation and transit, and Fort George district operations manager Kevin Lutz told me that those signs were a direct result of the petition and community support.
“That meant a lot to see that they did that, They were also talking to me about other improvements that were already in the works, like a concrete median and brush clearing. I feel like maybe the petition helped bring attention to this area and moved this stretch of road up the priority list, because all this has been done in the last few months since my petition started.”
In addition to the new wildlife signs, the concrete median, and brush clearing, new improvements are in the works. This includes electrical wiring being trenched through the centre of the road to power a flashing amber light above the raised median, which should make the barrier and turning lane more visible at night.
While these changes are significant and have increased the safety of the road and reduced wildlife collisions, Anthony has not yet declared victory.
“The main complaint people voiced on my petition was about the lack of continuous lighting,” said Anthony. “That’s why many people were signing the petition, because there are long stretches without street lights. There are a few street lights at Guy Road, the jail entrance, and Pickering Road, but after that, it’s completely dark, and wildlife can be hard to see even in the daylight. Street lights would help drivers see a little more ahead and give them an extra few seconds to spot wildlife and stop, preventing accidents. Mike Farnsworth and Kevin Lutz explained that continuous highway lighting is only installed when specific criteria are met, but Jail Hill doesn’t meet those criteria. They did say the ministry will be reviewing the area again, however.”
Anthony would like to thank everyone in Prince George and the surrounding area who signed, shared, and donated.
She also thanked Farnsworth, Lutz andBen Scott, the general manager of YRB Fort George, who was the first to respond to her petition.
She said Mayor Simon Yu publicly supported safety improvements on the stretch and shared that someone he knew lost their life on Jail Hill, which brought an important and personal voice to the conversation.
If you are interested in signing the petition, visit this link.
