the amount of fuel in selected parts of B.C., while restrictions were also imposed on non-essential travel on selected routes, as highways began reopening following torrential rains.
While the restrictions were expected to last until Wednesday (1 Dec), this week, local authorities revealed that the orders will be extended, in order to support the ongoing flood recovery efforts. The state of emergency declared in the province has also been extended, granting local authorities extraordinary powers to deal with what has been described as one the costliest natural disasters in Canada’s history.
Accordingly, non-essential vehicles will only be able to purchase up to 30 litres (eight gallons) per trip to gas stations in the Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands, the Sea-to-Sky region, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island until 14 December. A prohibition of non-essential travel on parts of Highways 3, 7 and 99 have also been announced by the authorities, with fines of up to $2,000 being charged on those who flout the rules.
Announcing the decision to extend restrictions, Public Safety Minister and Deputy Premier of the province Mike Farnworth on Monday, noted that the “significant weather” continues to pose challenges in the province’s recovery efforts, particularly for the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which brings in about 85 per cent of the fuel required in B.C. for refining. According to the minister, the pipeline has been offline since 14 November.
“The fuel conservation measures are working and I want to thank British Columbians for their patience – but we need to stay the course for another two weeks until we have the Trans Mountain Pipeline back online,” he said. “We need to ensure our supply chains, and emergency services, have the fuel that they need to function.”
