Editor:
It was with great sadness I read in the June 16 Outlook about the death of two grizzlies as a result of a head-on collision in the same week on the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park. The no one moves, no one gets hurt approach by continually reducing and enforcing speed limits is, of course, not sustainable or a long-term solution.
The motorist safety and wildlife mortality issue will only be successfully solved by twinning and fencing the highway with adequate wildlife crossings as proven on the 88 kilometres already completed in Banff National Park.
In 2019, Parks Canada essentially completed the twinning and wildlife mitigation design for the remaining 40 km two-lane Trans Canada Highway through Yoho National Park, held public consultations and also completed the environmental assessment for the project with indigenous consultation well underway. Is it simply a lack of concern or interest by the federal government in investing in motorist and wildlife safety and overall transportation efficiency that is delaying its implementation? If $600 million is available to invest in four km of twinning through Kicking Horse Canyon, surely a similar amount for twinning the remaining 40 km of highway through Yoho National Park should be a no-brainer.
It is too bad that Yoho National Park twinning did not take advantage of the various highway closures and Highway 93 detours needed for the Kicking Horse Canyon work over the past two years. This would have permitted concurrently undertaking similar tight restricted work such as on the Field Hill, thus avoiding future traffic disruptions and added costs when work ultimately takes place. An opportunity lost.
Terry McGuire,
Calgary
