The Tsleil-Waututh Nation is receiving a large chunk of funding to help improve the safety of its roads for drivers and pedestrians.
The B.C. Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant program, launched in 2021 by Vancouver Coastal Health to reduce the amount of injuries and fatalities caused by road collisions, will hand over $20,000 so the Nation can install a new speed reader board on Dollarton Highway.
“This could save lives on the highway,” said Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Jen Thomas. “The safety in this area is a problem that we’ve had as far back as the 1960s. I’ve had a relative hit and killed in front of my mom and dad’s driveway, and then the next driveway down another person was hit and killed in the 1990s. We’ve lost members to speeders.”
Thomas said the dangers of the area are commonly discussed among residents, especially those who live on the bustling highway itself.
A busy thoroughfare for foot passengers, there are often students who cross the road to travel from school to the waterfront for classes, she said, and with it being canoe season currently, there are paddlers crossing the road frequently.
“This has always been a big issue for the community.”
Thomas said the introduction of a reader board should be the first of many road safety improvements made to the area, and that the Nation is currently looking at creating their own community SpeedWatch program, which will see trained members displaying temporary speedboards in various locations throughout the community.
“Having the SpeedWatch program will make a difference, and hopefully we can go for a little bit more afterwards. But this is a really good start,” she said.
Vancouver Coastal Health’s medical health officer Dr. Michael Schwandt said a “major part” of the program is paying attention to the concerns of the local communities, and in this case, the proposal had come directly from the Nation.
“We’re really glad to be able to support this as a health authority,” said Schwandt, adding how the project has both indirect and direct benefits to improving safety.
“The proposal for a speed reader board and a community speedwatch program is well supported by evidence that this sort of project can decrease speed and can decrease risk of injuries. There’s also the indirect effect that people are made more aware in general, and will carry that duty of care with them when they leave the area,” he said.
Schwandt said the project is part of a wider movement dedicated to making the streets safer for pedestrians, and to making a change to some alarming statistics.
“In British Columbia over 200 people a year die on average due to road crashes, which is a large number, and we believe that close to all of these can be prevented,” he said.
HUB Cycling and Musqueam Indian Band are among some of the other Vision Zero recipients for this year, with HUB Cycling set to receive $20,000 in funding to provide safe cycling sessions to the band’s youth, aged between 8-18 years.
The project will also facilitate a bike maintenance workshop and distribution of bikes, helmets, and other accessories.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
