Credit: CFJC Today- file photo

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Suddenly, there’s new urgency to a secondary exit from Juniper

Jul 5, 2021 | 4:50 AM

KAMLOOPS — THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a scary-as-hell wildfire to renew a decades-long debate about how to get away in emergency situations.

The fire between Juniper and Valleyview last week resulted in a sudden evacuation that has a lot of folks worried about the fact there’s only one regular road to and from Juniper.

Some of those evacuated had to wait for agonizing minutes before even getting out of their driveways due to the resulting traffic congestion, and it apparently took some of them up to two hours to escape the area.

The concern about emergency exits goes back 50 years to the creation of Juniper itself but this is the first actual emergency that required a fast evacuation.

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While Highland Road is the only one available for daily use, emergency routes do already exist. On the east end of Juniper, a dirt road leading down from the Benchlands has long been looked upon for upgrading. However, the City’s position has been that it would be prohibitively expensive.

When the question came up 10 years ago, a senior City staffer commented that, “There will never ever be a paved route out of there (to the east), similar to a Highland Road or anything like that.”

Most of the focus on a secondary exit has been on an old, gated gasline road from the west end of Juniper through Rose Hill. That one recently made the news when Rose Hill residents objected to the westward expansion of Juniper.

The City has laid out options for a western exit, including a possible extension of Qu’Appelle Boulevard, but the plan is always regarded as being several years in the future.

However, the issue gained new urgency after the Fort McMurray wildfire five years ago and the route to Rose Hill received a minor upgrade.

In the wake of last week’s close call, there’s even more urgency for moving the discussion from long-term to more immediate solutions.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.