Kootenay Crust

By Ian Cobb

We are now one week into the winter of 2014/2015 and we are in the same place where we were last winter at this time here in the East Kootenay.

Large sections of our highways are in complete bullcrap condition. One week after the first big snow storm rolled through the region, our roads remain in dangerous conditions.

Alberta, Montana and Idaho went through the same storm and their highways are in fairly decent conditions. There is a noticeable weather-line between the jurisdictions; instantly obvious. Good roads to shoddy roads.

Last year Mainroad Contracting, burdened by taking our taxpayer dollars to maintain the highways in the East Kootenay, was severely taken to task last winter for failing to do its job. We heard back that the conditions were extra special and it was difficult to rid the roads of Old Man Winter snot.

Many of us, including yours truly, reluctantly relented, because the start of winter 2013/14 had a rat bastard beginning.

In comparison, the storm last week was middling – a normal ole East Kootenay dump.

And yet here we are again one week after the fact. DriveBC has a familiar refrain with its area notices: compact snow with slippery sections. Things are looking up when “slushy sections” are all there is to worry about.

The road from Elko to the US border is still covered in ice and snow. Highway 3 through the Elk Valley – terrible. Highway 43 between Elkford and Sparwood – lousy. Cranbrook to Fernie – yuck. Cranbrook to Creston – WTF? Highway 95A to Kimberley – yeek! Cranbrook to Radium Hot Springs and Radium north to Spillimacheen, compact snow, slippery sections yada yada.

Before you get all touchy, understand that we get it – it’s winter in the Rockies and keeping roads passable is yeoman’s work. As such, I’m not casting stones at the sanding and plow truck drivers. They are doing what they can.

What seems to be happening once again is a lack of them getting to work when they need to – which falls uphill to the managers and ownership of Mainroad.

I’ve lived in this region for 24 years, arriving from the far nastier, winter-wise, prairies (Manitoba). Like every flatlander I soon learned that icy roads are that much freakier in the mountains because of that magic of physics – gravity. Hills plus slippery roads equals slow the hell down and hope for the best and all that.

Well, in those 24 years I’ve toured regional highways, and I drive them constantly, last winter was the worst state of our highways that I have ever seen.

Are you really going to allow failure to meet contractual requirements to creep back in again, Mainroad? As of right now it looks like you are.

And a lot of people are taking notice, thanks to the firestorm you allowed to burst over you last winter.

Consider the presence of the Elk Valley Road Report, with 3,056 members and the newer Taking Back East Kootenay Highways, with 1,011 members on Facebook. Check those sites out for a much greater glimpse into the volume of anger that is festering in our snowbound region.

And in the ‘I don’t want to be in your shoes department,’ Mainroad, you’ve now got Kootenay Bill in a snit.

Noting the conditions of the regional highways as “absolutely unacceptable” during an illuminating interview on B-104, Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett stated, “Mainroad needs to do something about it. I don’t blame people for being upset,” he said, noting constituents and the provincial government expect better service from the government-funded contractor.

“I am quite frankly angry this is happening,” Bennett said. “We are obviously working with the Ministry of Transportation on this.”

As for why regional highways are, for the second late November/early December in a row, in lousy conditions, Bennett suggested Mainroad appears to be incapable of responding to the weather conditions.

So I reckon the challenge has been dropped at Mainroad’s feet again.

It basically goes like this: “Our roads suck, so that means you suck because we are paying you to keep our roads as clear as possible and if you did such an average to good job before all those years since our provincial government decided to contract out highway maintenance, what’s your problem now?”

Clearly, resources are being ‘saved’ to stretch them out over the long winter in the snowy East Kootenay.

Does this mean, Mainroad, that you don’t have the wherewithal to meet the requirements laid out in your contract with the provincial government?

Your answer will be in the ongoing condition of our highways. The sooner you reply the better.

We the taxpayers of the East Kootenay and Province of B.C. are not paying you to become the brunt of our winter-hating ire. We are paying you, and as a result trusting you, to do an important job.

We relented last winter, accepting the excuse.

And there’s the rub. There should be no excuse when it comes to highway safety. What will be your excuse when someone is killed because of improperly maintained highways?

You’ve been frigging lucky up to this point. Don’t keep pushing your luck.

Drive safely out there folks.

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