Hwy. 1 fatality in Shuswap prompts push for meet with transportation ministry
Published 3:11 pm Monday, September 14, 2026
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Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) directors are asking for assistance from the province and police in reducing the number of collisions on Highway 1 between Revelstoke and Sicamous.
Electoral Area E director Rhona Martin broached the subject at the Sept. 6 CSRD board meeting in Salmon Arm and asked that representatives from both the Ministry of Transportation and Transit and the RCMP attend a future meeting to discuss the state of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) and the people who drive the road.
On Sept. 1, a person lost their life in a collision east of Sicamous at Arnold Frontage Road. Later the same day, RCMP responded to a “chaotic scene” at the west end of the four-lane section of the highway in Malakwa. A large fifth-wheel trailer and truck which were parked at the side of the road, were completely destroyed when a west-bound semi veered off the highway and smashed into them.
In June and August, RCMP put the brakes on and fined several excessive speeders on the four-lane strip of the TCH.
Martin reminded directors of a “horrific time” recently in which four people were killed between Revelstoke and Sicamous.
“Unfortunately, people blame the road, but the road doesn’t jump up and do flips in front of you,” she said. “The road is pretty static.”
Martin, who drives the road regularly, noted she is constantly hearing of aggressive drivers, unsafe passing, stupidity and, loss of life.
“I grieve for the people that have lost family members, and I… worry about our emergency response people,” she said, noting the Sept. 1 death was a young man who grew up in Malakwa. “How much can they take of all of this happening, because there’s been far too much.
“The accident that involved the truck was an absolute stupid thing and how people weren’t killed is absolutely amazing,” she said. “I have heard concerns about them (RCMP) spending a lot of time between Sicamous and Salmon Arm where there are a lot of mishaps because the road isn’t wide enough and they can’t pull over safely, but there must be a way around that.”
Martin turned her attention to another issue, the fact that when the highway is closed, drivers have to travel the Cambie-Solsqua Road. She noted that if there is a train blocking access, drivers are unable to turn off the road safely and there is no place for them to be held on the shoulder because it’s too small.
Sicamous Mayor Colleen Anderson echoed Martin’s concerns about drivers who do not abide by rules of the road.
“Why would you pass on a double-solid line and put someone’s life in jeopardy – not yours, but someone else’s life,” she said. “There’s double-solid lines because you can’t see around the corner so you’re not supposed to pass.”
Also expressing her compassion for people who have lost family members, Anderson pondered on how to fix aggressive drivers.
“How do you calm them down, how to you say it’s only an extra 10 or 15 minutes to drive safely?” she asked, suggesting other drivers could report plate numbers of aggressive and speeding drivers. “The highway doesn’t just jump out, it’s people being careless and uncaring.”
The board voted unanimously in favour of Martin’s motion to invite reps from the province and RCMP.