The Maggie Lake Forest Service Road (Toquaht Bay Road), located about 10-kilometres northwest of Ucluelet, and the Canal Main Forest Service Road (FSR), which runs for about 38-kilometres parallel to the Alberni Inlet south of Port Alberni, are getting upgrades.
Work includes widening and realigning the roads in multiple places, building new bridges to replace narrow ones and improving road surfacing, reads an Aug. 6 news release from the BC Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR).
Maggie Lake FSR routes to the Toquaht Nation village of Macoah, the Secret Beach Campground and Kayak Launch and the recreational community of Salmon Beach. Canal Main FSR connects Uchucklesaht citizens to their treaty lands and the village of Ehthlateese. It is also the main access road to the south portion of Nahmint Lake and Hucuktlis (Henderson) Lake.
“Improved access to Uchucklesaht’s territory and village is a meaningful and important step to successful treaty implementation,” said Chief Councillor Wilfred Cootes of Uchucklesaht Tribe in the media release. “Uchucklesaht values the collaborative work to date that has resulted in this important commitment by B.C. to improve our road access.”
Uchucklesaht’s deputy CAO and director of lands and resources Ryan Anaka said the $500,000 grant funding for road maintenance and improvements will create meaningful jobs, while boosting their ability to maintain the roads within their territory. It also paves the way for future economic opportunities.
“People can get to our territory a little bit easier and safer,” Anaka said. “We’re very appreciative of what the province gave us. We are planning to buy equipment and intend to provide training to our citizens to operate the equipment to maintain our roads to our village as well as to work towards maintenance opportunities on provincial roads.”
Toquaht Nation’s director of operations Donna Monteith said Toquaht was awarded a $750,000 grant from the MIRR earlier this year.
“Toquaht Nation plans to use the funding specifically to purchase much-needed equipment to support road and ditch maintenance, as well as building the capacity of our team by enabling staff to obtain Heavy Equipment Operator Certification,” Monteith said in an email. “Improved road maintenance will provide safer access to Macoah residents, Toquaht Nation citizens, visitors, and emergency responders.”
Toquaht Nation Chief Anne Mack says the financial support will help make Macoah both accessible and a viable route for citizens, year-round.
“Safe, reliable access to health care, school and work is an important factor in our citizens being able to return home, which is a priority for our nation,” said Mack.
Rachelle Cole, Ucluelet and Oceanside District Unit Chief and Community Paramedic, weighs in.
“Connecting people and communities as efficiently as possible with the care they need is one of our core duties at BC Emergency Health Services and fundamental to effective paramedicine,” said Cole. “Improving road access for Toquaht Nation and Uchucklesaht Tribe members will increase their access to care, helping balance historical inequities while improving health outcomes.”
