Pushing for Transportation Solution Along 16 West
That corridor has become known as the Highway of Tears because of the number of women who have gone missing, or have been murdered. In some of the cases, the victims had been known to hitch-hike.
(at right, MLAs Maurine Karagianis and Jennifer Rice)
That was not the mode of transportation selected by the trio, but they did see others along the route who were looking to catch a ride “unfortunately they were all going in the opposite direction that we were so we weren’t really able to help them in any way” says MLA Maurine Karagianis, the NDP’s critic for women’s issues.
She, along with MLAs Jennifer Rice and Carole James, made the trip to gather information on the transportation challenges facing those who live along the corridor. “Every single community leader we met with, had the very same message, that it is way past time for some solution to be provided” says Karagianis.
“Many find it challenging just to provide the basics, to go get a quart of milk, go to a doctor’s appointment, they have to hitch-hike, there is absolutely no options for them in many of these communities” says Karagianis.
“It has been very emotional for us, it’s been often, very compelling stories from people, but also a sense of isolation. We have stopped along the highway and realized how vulnerable we felt no cell service for hours at a time, great distances where you don’t see vehicles, and so, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to put yourself in that place and say what if I was out here and my car was broken down? What if I had to hitchhike to a Doctor’s appointment or to get food for my children?”
Improved transportation along the corridor has been a key recommendation in the Highway of Tears Symposium and in the Oppal inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women.
Karagianis says the time for the government to deliver is now, “It’s very obvious communities are ready to step up to the plate and work with government to make this happen as soon as possible.”
Comments
For one thing, these girls shouldnt be hitch hiking alone. One rumour was that they got picked up after a cabaret nite. So does this mean the shuttle bus should pick them up at
2 am, at the cabaret in PG, then take them all the way to Houston or Smithers? The NDP sure come up with some crazy stuff.Even with a shuttle, they will still be hitchhiking at all hrs. Just saying.
“âunfortunately they were all going in the opposite direction that we were so we werenât really able to help them in any wayâ says MLA Maurine Karagianis, the NDPâs critic for womenâs issues.”
So you stopped, turned around and talked to them to find out why they were standing by the side of the road? You offered them to make arrangements for them to travel safely to where they wanted to go? You assisted them to get a quart of milk or to go to the doctor’s office? You explained to them (all of them) how extremely unwise it is to hitch-hike? What did each of them reply? Did you log all the details?
If you did not do this, don’t you think you would feel guilty of not having done something to prevent them from hitch-hiking if any of them would have met an awful fate?
Waiting for an explanation of what you actually did (an action) instead of just talking later about it (non-action).
“âunfortunately they were all going in the opposite direction that we were so we werenât really able to help them in any wayâ says MLA Maurine Karagianis, the NDPâs critic for womenâs issues.”
So you stopped, turned around and talked to them to find out why they were standing by the side of the road? You offered them to make arrangements for them to travel safely to where they wanted to go? You assisted them to get a quart of milk or to go to the doctor’s office? You explained to them (all of them) how extremely unwise it is to hitch-hike? What did each of them reply? Did you log all the details?
If you did not do this, don’t you think you would feel guilty of not having done something to prevent them from hitch-hiking if any of them would have met an awful fate?
Waiting for an explanation of what you actually did (an action) instead of just talking later about it (non-action).
At least these three women are making the effort to raise awareness around the important issue of murdered and missing women, up here!
I count no less than seven (7) questions in PG’s comment! How typically Liberal / Conservative to field so many questions and never offer any answers!
Good observation BH. Where’s your answer? I await.
Peeps it was not PrinceGeorge that drove past those hitch hiking.He asked perfectly valid questions to those that did pass by and do nothing.
Nothing more than a 700 km long photo op or publicity stunt.
“How typically Liberal / Conservative to field so many questions and never offer any answers!”
Can you restrain yourself a bit and address this issue as the non-political human concern issue that it is and that requires assistance and input from the entire population, regardless of political agendas?
A political football it is not even though some people are desperately trying to make hay with it! Making it into one is unbefitting of the serious matter at hand.
“…we werenât really able to help them in any way…”
Completely unacceptable excuse. Let’s hope they do better when they are driving back again. A golden opportunity to put words into action!
Thoughtful question from Prince George as to whether the 3 MLAs asked those hitchhiking in the opposite direction their reasons for hitchhiking. When I have a question for a member of parliament or the legislature, I e-mail them my inquiry or I try to speak with them, personally. I have always got an answer back.
Had an opportunity to speak with MLA Rice at a public event this afternoon about what she did do on that road trip. She did say that the 3 MLAs spoke with many people between Prince Rupert and Prince George about issues of isolation, transportation, violence and poverty. They spoke with some of the families of women who have gone missing on that highway. Am going to e-mail her and suggest that the public would like to hear about what they learned.
I stopped at 2:00 am and gave two ladies a boost, with a semi, between here and McBride one time. I let them warm up in the cab while their battery was charging. I had to back up to do that. I couldn’t just spin a uey with a 45′ trailer.
I didn’t just drive by and hope the best for them. They were going the opposite direction too.
You ladies see the difference?
Hope you read these comments.
Here’s another one for you:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/good-samaritan-gives-shoes-off-his-feet-to-bus-passenger-1.2620011?cmp=rss
Typical NDP, all talk and no action! Hey, when you are perpetually in Opposition, I guess no one really expects you to do anything!
ACTION? STOP HITCH HIKING!!
Thankfully at least, with digital cameras they won’t be wasting any film on this useless photo op!
Most of these communities are close to the rail right of ways. Just an idea but why not a Native rail service, rather than a bus service?
To make it work they would have to move motor homes and big 5th wheel like RV units. The kind rich people like to tour in… the kinds of mobile homes they like to buy, but with today’s price of gas can hardly afford to tour in. Why does it have to be limited to line from PG to Prince Rupert? Why not go national, its a national issue after all. Think of the tourism dollars and the improvement to highway safety.
All one would need is sidings every 100km or so with gravel loading ramps and a small fleet of flat deck rail cars designed to secure RV, low bed, oil rig, or highway logistics traffic, then equip each train with a passenger car… ie the VIA train and up the frequency to twice a day each direction. Make the passenger traffic free and the cargo traffic pay the bills through legislation, and then if it needs a small capital subsidy to make it happen then make it so. It would be a bargain for everyone involved… might involve some low skill jobs in the process.
We should have open rail lines in BC. If I was in the legislature I’d have the BC Rail sale investigated to the nth degree and then take them to the cleaners on the inside trading of information. Make the 999-year lease deal null and void with no compensation (CN could keep the equipment)… penalty being the monopoly on the rail lines is removed and they become an open rail line to all operators with a crown corporation that ensures free enterprise through maintenance of the rail line with a user fee charged out to rail operators that use the rail lines.
With control of the rail lines the entrepreneurial spirit could ensure free enterprise provides the solutions where government and big business fail. Maybe with partnerships and synergies with government, big business, and the communities… then big things could happen that revolutionize the way our rail infrastructure is utilized to grow our services and opportunities for communities up and down the line.
If we weren’t such a corrupt ‘democracy’ that is.
They have rail service, it’s called VIA. They will stop anywhere to pick up and drop off passengers. And the Native bands get a lot of say in keeping VIA going, the trains run on Christmas day because of the fuss made when they contemplated moving the schedule by one day for the crews to have Christmas with their families.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great idea in theory, but I know how CN works operationally and there is no way passenger rail service like you’re proposing would be do-able. Crews work with time restrictions, and having to stop constantly to pick up and drop off vehicles would cause consistant crew time-outs. And that’s not including wait times for meets, work blocks, etc.
Why would the trains have to stop to pick up vehicles, that’s what sidings are for. One doesn’t need a locomotive to move a few rail cars. Run it like a ferry system, no wait times. A lot of the coordination would involve how the rail cars are hooked on and off the train at the stops… factor in a half hour at each stop (siding of sidings) of the main line. Develop an inland containerization process that works around the sidings.
I honestly don’t think CN could run the system. They are too rigid and would compromise it for resource rail traffic. Priority would have to go to route traffic, and then resource traffic secondary. It would be a different way of running the tracks.
Good idea Eagleone, in some senses. I don’t think though, that the railroads would be able to do it unless they doubled or tripled their lines. Even then, they would never be able to keep up with the efficiency of peoples’ schedules or timely truck deliveries of goods.
Railroads, and especially CN, don’t work that way.
Does a company called greyhound run that rout ?
Seems to me they stated at the wrong end!
It would be prudent for the government and the First Nations to negotiate these shuttle vans into the ongoing LNG negotiations.Every Band is in talks right now, and this would be an easy sell.
If you don’t a ride lined up to where you want to go? Don’t go. Borrow milk from your neighbor.
Or buy a cow.
Even after all of this killing on that highway, you still see woman hitchhiking. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. IF the reason you want to go somewhere is greater than the reason you want to live then no transportation system will work for this issue. I don’t pick up anyone anymore at any time. Not worth the risk to myself or them. When I was a kid, I used to thumb a ride everywhere. Different time in history.
As to it being just a photo op, nonsense. It is to get people talking about the problem, and in that it has been a rousing success.
Just look at all the people on 250News posting comments to the two articles they have had on it. Even rabid antis are talking about it. Fantastic!
There are already two transportation options available along this corridor; Greyhound and Via Rail. Greyhound has already cut back trips due to lack of passengers-why would we create a public funded initiative that takes away business from corporations? Is it so we all can whine in a couple years when Greyhound pulls out altogether?
And besides, this issue is just sexy for politicians; it has been a long time (years) since anyone went missing that could be linked to the “highway of tears.”
Make better choices in the first place.
To summarize the discussion on this subject, we have three NDP MLAâs that are taking the time to raise awareness about murdered and missing women, they are at least doing SOMETHING to try and address an extremely disturbing situation that has given us a black eye at a national and international level. For doing this, these three MLAs get criticized and disparaged by commenters, who no doubt support a political party in power that has done absolutely nothing to address this deplorable and unacceptable situation!
One commenter goes so far as to describe murdered and missing women as being âsexyâ. These kinds of low road comments both embarrass and disturb me to the point that I must re-evaluate who I will be voting for in the next provincial election.
In this case, good on the NDP for at least trying to do something to prevent more women from being murdered or going missing!
Ammonra:”Even rabid antis are talking about it. Fantastic!”
Anyone who dares question NDP related matters is a “Rabid Anti”!
Great! But look what I found! Especially the last three words!
Cheers!
1.Affected with rabies. a rabid dog or fox
2.Of or pertaining to rabies, or hydrophobia. a rabid virus
3.Furious; raging; extremely violent.
4.very extreme, unreasonable, or fanatical in opinion; excessively zealous; comparable to one with rabies. a rabid socialist
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