Truckers have been stuck in Kamloops since Monday, but have been fed by the Sikh Culture Society (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

TRUCKERS STRANDED

Truckers waiting for highways to reopen, receiving help from Kamloops Sikh community

Nov 19, 2021 | 2:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — Harmanjit Singh has been spending this week in Kamloops just relaxing in the cab of his semi in, as he waits for any B.C. highway to the Lower Mainland to reopen.

“It’s very difficult to wait here because we’ve stuck here the last three to four days and we have nothing to do. We just have to wait,” said Singh.

Singh is coming back from picking up a delivery in Toronto. Only driving for a few months, it hasn’t been an easy trip.

“Last weekend, we were stuck in Winnipeg in a storm also and this Monday we were stuck here for the road closure,” said Singh. “This is not an easy job, we can say. If the highway will open, we will go home.”

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In the meantime, the some 50 truck drivers whose temporary home has been at the ‘Flying J’ truck stop in Dallas have been helped by the Kamloops Sikh community.

Members of the Sikh Culture Society have been serving meals twice a day since Monday to the drivers who are stranded and have nothing.

“Each day, we have been serving daily from 150 to 200 meals at this truck stop and also up at the scales past Pineview,” said volunteer Pav Gill.

The volunteers were inspired by the Sikh community in Surrey that prepared and delivered meals by helicopter to people trapped in Hope.

“The Sikh community here in Kamloops and the Sikh Culture Society, we’re all about helping people, especially those who are need,” noted Gill. “And when we found out that a group of people needed help, especially during the floods right now when we have evacuees and we have people who are away from home, we want to be there and we want to help them out.”

All the truckers who have been able to eat thanks to these volunteers are very appreciative.

“Without these guys, survival would have been very difficult because we were running out of food,” said Harmanmeet Singh. “We’ve been stuck here for the past four days. These guys were really helpful. We got food from them. These guys have been really nice. They come to our trucks, knock at the doors so we don’t miss while they come.”

Singh is also waiting to return to the Lower Mainland with his truck. With the government saying Highway 3 will reopen this weekend, it gives them hope they can get home.

“We are expecting Highway 3 to open up because we don’t have any expectations for Highway 5 [the Coquihalla] and Highway 1 because the roads have been washed out,” said Singh. “We are expecting we can head home through Highway 3.”