The Huu-ay-aht First Nations marked the official completion on Tuesday of upgrades to Bamfield Road, safety improvements driven by a bus crash in 2019 that killed two University of Victoria students.
The 76-kilometre stretch of logging road connecting Bamfield and the highway in Port Alberni has been chip-sealed and safety features have been added, including guard rails, bridge railings, lighting, signage, reflectors and drainage improvements.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief Councillor John Jack and other leaders and partners attended a ribbon cutting at kilometre 76 to mark the completion of the Bamfield Main Reconciliation Project.
“With this upgrade, we begin building a strong, self-reliant community and economy for Huu-ay-aht citizens and everyone in the region,” Jack said in a statement. “We are grateful to everyone who has supported Huu-ay-aht in reaching our vision.” The Huu-ay-aht First Nation called for safety improvements to the road for decades following several crashes on the unlit gravel road.
A Wilson’s Transportation bus carrying University of Victoria students on a field trip to Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre slid down an embankment on Sept. 13 2019, killing first-year students Emma Machado, 18, of Winnipeg, and John Geerdes, 18, from Iowa City, Iowa.
After the crash, the province committed $25.7 million to the improvement project in 2020 and an additional $10 million in 2023 with the Huu-ay-aht, which led the road infrastructure project, contributing $5 million.
It’s estimated Bamfield Main — used by residents, tourists and industry — will cost about $1 million each year to maintain.
The Huu-ay-aht First Nation said its next task is to collaborate on a strategy for maintaining the chip-sealed road and creating more economic growth and tourism for the, until now, resource-based economy.
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