Some first nations communities have set up shuttle services for their people but I don’t think they are available 24 hours a day for a single passenger. One would think that if these communities are as concerned as they make out to be, they would set up their own way to deal with this problem.
I know, it would involve a lot of red tape, as anything they want to do does but if they really want something done about it they may have to look for a solution within themselves. I don’t see, or hear of any action around that.

I couldn’t agree more with Ben.

I travel highway 16 on a very regular basis and I have constantly seen aboriginal women hitchhiking on the highway.

it bewilders me that there has not been the attention given to their hitchhiking that it demands.

Simply throwing money at the issue is NOT the answer, neither is a huge expensive Public Inquiry” that is being demanded by some at the Federal level.

We have a huge problem in the aboriginal community and that is the lack of education from the leadership about the extreme dangers of hitchhiking.

One would have thought, that considering the multiple tragedies that have occurred along highway 16 over the past many years, the leadership of the aboriginal communities would have taken a self initiative to try and educate the people of their communities.

Simply holding rally’s and news conferences to demand funding for some sort of commission to “talk about” the situation is not the answer. the problem has already been identified, and it’s long past time to fix it.

Responsibility and education begin at home.

These women that hitchhike can’t be ignorant to the fact of all the disapearances out there. There has been enough awareness to it that anyone who lives along the stretch that doesn’t live under a rock should know. I think these women just don’t care, and like the rest of today’s society have the “it won’t happen to me attitude”. Why should the government step up and pay for shuttles when greyhound runs through on a regular basis, and like ben says, plenty of vehicles and plenty of drivers. I direct this towards anyone hitchhiking the highway, man, woman, white, black, native or anybody else. I also feel for the families affected by this, and truley hope the disapearances have stopped, and all families can get closure one way or another

Right on the money, Ben. How can you help people who can’t be bothered to help themselves?

How about making hitch hiking safe – set up a website and an app, have approved people that drive the road all the time sign up that they are willing to give rides to people. Send a text when you pick someone up etc. Maybe make the fuel for the trip a tax right off as incentive (it would be cheaper than putting a shuttle in place). It would be a pretty easy way to volunteer and help make communities better. Of course we would find a way to add enough bureaucracy to sink the whole program. Just thinking out loud of course.

Until someone volunteering to give someone a ride has an accident and gets their pants sued off of them.

If you are willing to gamble with your life by hitchiking there isn’t much someone can say to help you out.
There has been news flashes, signs, etc for years and years and yet you still see hitch hikers.

Don’t make yourself a victim.

Exactly right Huh. What a sad world the lawyers have built for us. Try taking a first aid course and see how much time is spent learning first aid and how much is spent on legalities, who you can help, who you can’t, not going outside your ticketed level, etc etc. The wife was a first responder and now her certification has expired. If there was an injury she knows perfectly well how to deal with it but from a legal standing she might as well be a tree stump standing and looking on.

Well said Ben! And many good comments!

Funny how I said almost the exact same things only a few weeks ago. However, I was attacked and vilified by some of the regular posters on this site!!

I was attacked for “blaming the victim” in spite of repeatedly stating that I hope that there aren’t anymore victims. But I also stated that when one puts oneself in harm’s way, all too often they find themselves harmed!

Bands, councils, chiefs and parents all need to step up to the plate and take a more active part in working to educate their youth and work towards preventing these tragedies. The First Nation’s bands along the Highway 16 corridor receive millions upon millions of tax payer dollars. All too often, Chiefs and councils pay themselves ridiculous salaries! Perhaps they should take less for themselves and leave some for the funding of an inter-band shuttle service??

I love what you’re sayin Hart Guy…..as it is so true……If independence is so important to them, then use the millions of tax payer and claim payments to do some infustructure of their own and put it where its needed and start taking care of your own. Oh yeah, this morning on the way to work at 8:00 am, I noticed a native lady walking along the Old Cariboo Hwy passed the Giscome turn off. She was walking south with a pooch in a front pack bundled in a white coat, dragging a small black suit case. She may or not be a hitch hiker, but I can say someone probably stop by to ask if she needed a ride……So if you turn up missing, at least I noticed you.

I agree. I’ve never ever seen a white hitch hiker.

I have seen non native hitch hikers heading east lots during the summer on my way out and back from my ladies house. They are trying to make this about one race, but it is about safety for everyone.

P Val, your comment is really short sighted, you do realize the non natives do not have consortiums about the hwy of tears and inquests every 2 months for every person that is lost or missing and looking for restitution. I believe non native people have never tried to make this about 1 race. In fact I think it’s the other way around because it is mostly the native people that are missing and have pointed out to others “that if they were white they would get justice” If that is not about race I don’t know what is. And yes there are NON Natives (white) who do the hiking thing, but I bet you its a lot less than a Native.

NMG you are about to see hundreds of white hitchhikers as tree planting season is almost upon us.

I also have showed my ignorance according to some by stating this very same thing, a shuttle will stop no one from hitch hiking along the highway. It will either be going the wrong direction or an hour or two earlier or later when the thumb wants to come out. Most reserves have vans and shuttles for grocery getters and the like, it is the teens and early 20s wanting to get to a friends place now, not in a couple hours when the shuttle happens to be running by who are most likely to stick out the thumb.

There used to be a guy who hitchhiked his way back and forth to Norman Lake every morning and evening during the summer months for years. Also for a few years I would see people hitch hiking under the sign for info about the disappearance of Nicole Hoar where the motorbike dealer sits now. Education is more in order, and realistic options. I consider the shuttle option more of a cop out to a real thought out solution, but that is another man’s opinion.