British Columbia Highway 16
Highway 16 is a highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is an important section of the Yellowhead Highway, a part of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across Western Canada. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway. The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1941, and originally, the route that the highway took was more to the north of today's highway, and it was not as long as it is now. Highway 16 originally ran from New Hazelton east to Aleza Lake. In 1947, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was re-aligned to end at Prince George. In 1969, further alignment east into Yellowhead Pass was opened to traffic after being constructed up through 1968 and raised to all-weather standards in 1969. Highway 16's alignment on Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1983[2] and is connected to the mainland segment via BC Ferries route #11.
Highway 16 | |
|---|---|
| Yellowhead Highway Trans-Canada Highway | |
Highway 16 highlighted in red. | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure | |
| Length | 1,173 km (729 mi) |
| Existed | 1941–present |
| Haida Gwaii segment | |
| Length | 101 km[1] (63 mi) |
| North end | Masset |
| South end | BC Ferries dock in Skidegate |
| Mainland segment | |
| Length | 1,072 km[1] (666 mi) |
| West end | BC Ferries dock in Prince Rupert |
| Major intersections | Hwy 113 in Terrace Hwy 37 south in Terrace Hwy 37 north in Kitwanga Hwy 118 in Topley Hwy 35 in Burns Lake Hwy 27 near Vanderhoof Hwy 97 in Prince George Hwy 5 near Tête Jaune Cache |
| East end | Alberta border continues as Hwy 16 (TCH) |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Highway system | |
| | |
A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the name Highway of Tears.
Route description
Haida Gwaii section
The 101 km (63 mi) segment of the 1,347-kilometre-long (837 mi) BC highway begins in the west in the village of Masset, on the northern coast of Graham Island. Proceeding south, the highway goes 38 km (24 mi) to the inlet town of Port Clements. Winding its way along the boundary of Naikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for 27 km (17 mi) before reaching the community of Tlell. 36 km (22 mi) south of Tlell, Highway 16 reaches Skidegate, where its Haida Gwaii section terminates.
Mainland section
BC Ferries then takes Highway 16 across the Hecate Strait for 172 km (107 mi) due northeast to its landing at Prince Rupert.
From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through the Coast Mountain Ranges. Following the Skeena River, the highway travels for 151 km (94 mi) to the city of Terrace. Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 from north of Highway 16, at the Kitwanga junction.[3] Another 43 km (27 mi) northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along the Bulkley River. 68 km (42 mi) later, the highway reaches the town of Smithers, proceeding southeast another 64 km (40 mi) to the village of Houston.
At Houston, Highway 16 begins a parallel course along the upper course of the Bulkley River, proceeding 81 km (50 mi) east to its junction with Highway 35, south of Burns Lake. 128 km (80 mi) east, after passing through the hamlet of Fraser Lake, Highway 16 reaches its junction with Highway 27 in the town of Vanderhoof. 97 km (60 mi) east of Vanderhoof, Highway 16 reaches its B.C. midpoint as it enters the city of Prince George at its junction with Highway 97. Highway 16 leaves Prince George after coursing through the city for 9 km (5.6 mi).
120 km (75 mi) east of Prince George, Highway 16 reaches the community of Dome Creek, where it converges with the Fraser River and turns southeast. It follows the Fraser River upstream for 82 km (51 mi) to McBride, then continues upstream for another 64 km (40 mi) to its junction with Highway 5 at Tête Jaune Cache. 14 km (8.7 mi) east of Tête Jaune Cache, Highway 16 enters Mount Robson Provincial Park, coursing through the park for 63 km (39 mi) to the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta within Yellowhead Pass.
Highway of Tears
The Highway of Tears is a stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.[4] Since 1970, numerous women have gone missing or have been murdered along the 720 km (450 mi) section of highway.[5] Aboriginal organizations speculate that number ranges above forty.[6]
In 2016, the Canadian government launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women after communicating with victim families. This was done to find methods of slowing the violence within the Indigenous population.
In September 2020 a totem pole honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women was raised on the highway just outside Terrace.[7][8][9]
Major intersections
From west to east, the following intersections are observed along Highway 16.[10] Distances exclude the 172 km (93 nmi) ferry between Skidegate and Prince Rupert.
| Regional District | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Coast | Masset | 0.00 | 0.00 | Hodges Avenue / Towhill Road | Western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway |
| Skidegate | 100.90 | 62.70 | Oceanview Drive (Road 33) (Hwy 951:1502) – Daajing Giids | Daajing Giids was formerly known as Queen Charlotte prior to July 13, 2022.[11] | |
| 101.19 | 62.88 | Skidegate Ferry Terminal | |||
| Hecate Strait | BC Ferries from Skidegate to Prince Rupert | ||||
| North Coast | Prince Rupert | 0.00 | 0.00 | Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal | |
| 15.18 | 9.43 | Galloway Rapids Bridge from Kaien Island to the mainland | |||
| | 15.36 | 9.54 | Skeena Drive (Port Edward Road) (Hwy 951:1504) – Port Edward | Hwy 951:1504 is unsigned | |
| Kitimat–Stikine | Terrace | 145.91 | 90.66 | Hwy 113 north (Nisga'a Highway) – Nisga'a Nation | |
| 149.31– 150.26 | 92.78– 93.37 | Dudley Little West Bridge and Dudley Little Main Bridge crosses the Skeena River | |||
| 150.50 | 93.52 | Hwy 37 south – Kitimat | West end of Hwy 37 concurrency; former Hwy 25 | ||
| Kitwanga | 241.10 | 149.81 | Hwy 37 north (Stewart-Cassiar Highway) – Stewart, Watson Lake | East end of Hwy 37 concurrency | |
| New Hazelton | 284.17 | 176.58 | Churchill Street (Hwy 62 west) – Hazelton | Hwy 62 is unofficial and unsigned | |
| Bulkley-Nechako | Smithers | 349.34– 354.39 | 217.07– 220.21 | Passes through Smithers | |
| Telkwa | 366.39 | 227.66 | Passes through Telkwa | ||
| Houston | 414.19 | 257.37 | Passes through Houston | ||
| Topley | 445.08 | 276.56 | Hwy 118 north – Granisle | ||
| Burns Lake | 496.39 | 308.44 | Hwy 35 south – Francois Lake | ||
| Fraser Lake | 565.47 | 351.37 | Passes through Fraser Lake | ||
| | 616.66 | 383.17 | Hwy 27 north – Fort St. James | ||
| Vanderhoof | 619.87– 624.72 | 385.17– 388.18 | Passes through Vanderhoof | ||
| Fraser-Fort George | Prince George | 716.66 | 445.31 | Southridge Avenue | Interchange; no westbound entrance |
| 717.08 | 445.57 | Tyner Boulevard, Domano Boulevard | Provides access to the University of Northern British Columbia | ||
| 720.55 | 447.73 | Hwy 97 (Cariboo Highway) – Dawson Creek, Quesnel, Kamloops, Vancouver | |||
| 722.03 | 448.65 | Victoria Street / 20th Avenue | Hwy 16 turns onto Victoria Street | ||
| 723.74 | 449.71 | 1st Avenue | Former Hwy 97A; Hwy 16 turns onto 1st Avenue | ||
| 725.70 | 450.93 | Yellowhead Bridge over the Fraser River | |||
| 729.86 | 453.51 | Old Cariboo Highway (Hwy 941:1156 south) to Hwy 97 – Airport, Quesnel | Former Hwy 97A | ||
| | 742.31 | 461.25 | Upper Fraser Road (Hwy 941:1577) – Willow River, Giscome, Upper Fraser | ||
| McBride | 933.97 | 580.34 | McBride Bridge over the Fraser River | ||
| Tête Jaune Cache | 995.60 | 618.64 | Hwy 5 south (South Yellowhead Highway) – Valemount, Kamloops | Tête Jaune Interchange | |
| Mount Robson Provincial Park | 1,009.70 | 627.40 | West end of Mount Robson Provincial Park | ||
| 1,072.37 | 666.34 | Yellowhead Pass (Continental Divide) – 1,131 m (3,711 ft) | |||
| Hwy 16 (TCH) east – Jasper, Edmonton | Continues into Alberta and Jasper National Park | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Report). Cypher Consulting. July 2016. pp. 224–271. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
- ^ British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways (4 January 1983). General Circular G1/83. Victoria: Ministry of Transportation and Highways. pp. 0, 3.
- ^ Infrastructure, Ministry of Transportation and. "Highway 37 Map - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ Gerson, Jen. "Four things to know about Highway of Tears scandal, and the documents B.C. government allegedly deleted". National Post. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Ferreras, Jesse (25 September 2012). "Highway Of Tears: BC's Missing And Murdered Women". Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ "Those Who Take Us Away" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ "Totem pole to be raised on B.C.'s Highway of Tears to honour missing, murdered Indigenous women". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "Memorial pole raised on Highway of Tears in B.C. for families". Aboriginal People's Television Network. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "Community gathers for monumental totem pole raising along B.C.'s Highway of Tears". Terrace Standard. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ British Columbia Road Atlas (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. 2010. pp. 16–23, 26–30, 36–37. ISBN 978-1-55368-018-5.
- ^ Ministry of Municipal Affairs (July 13, 2022). "Ancestral Haida name restored to Haida Gwaii village". BC Gov News. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
External links
Route map:
- .