Boston Bar has a 604 area code.
That implies that Boston Bar is part of the Lower Mainland, and indeed, Fraser Canyon residents visit the Fraser Valley for work, supplies and recreation. But what happens when road closures severs the only link between Boston Bar and Hope, such as during the March 26 rockslide that closed the Trans-Canada Highway for days?
Boston Bar North Bend Enhancement Society executive director Nancy Carmichael replied that Boston Bar residents tend to prepare for such calamities.
“If you live in Boston Bar, you kind of stock up so that you can live with little items like that,” said Carmichael.
Boston Bar residents have the option to head into the 250 to get groceries, such as Lytton or Kamloops. With Highway 1 closed, even driving to Kamloops takes a shorter time than it would take to drive to Hope.
If they had to get to the Fraser Valley, instead of doing a 45-minute drive straight south to Hope, Carmichael suggests that people will take a three-hour, J-shaped route in cases of absolute necessity.
“There's always the option of the Coquihalla and coming through Spences Bridge. Lots of people have done that,” said Carmichael. “Go the long way around.”
Carmichael suspects that everyone in Boston Bar has had to do that drive at one point.
“I've had to do it,” said Carmichael. “I was stuck in Chilliwack one time, and I mean, if the highway's closed, and you got a carload of groceries, you got to get home.”
Emergency services under the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has plans in place should highways get cut off, according to spokesperson Jennifer Kinneman.
“The FVRD has emergency preparedness plans in place for the entire regional district and is equipped to respond to a wide range of situations,” she said. “For example, one strategy includes a number of mutual aid agreements that exist between neighbouring jurisdictions. If an FVRD volunteer fire department is unable to respond to a call, neighbouring fire departments may be called in.”
During the rockslide, Kinneman said the FVRD kept in regular contact with various first responder organizations to ensure public safety.
“In this particular situation, the FVRD has the Boston Bar/North Bend Volunteer Fire Department so they would respond to calls in that electoral area,” she added.
BC Emergency Health Services spokesperson Preet Grewal also said they have adjusted their service model during the incident.
“For the duration of the closure, paramedics from Boston Bar and Lytton will respond to any 911 calls concerning patients located on the north [side] of the slide at Yale. Once patients are cared for and stabilized, they will be transported to hospital in either Lytton or the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops instead of Hope based on the urgency of the care required.”
Grewal also said in critical care situations, they will call in air ambulance to respond to the situation.
Paramedics in Hope will respond to calls from the south side of the slide.