2025 R02 – Island Rail Corridor
- Year: 2025
- AVICC Number: R02
- Alberni-Clayoquot RD
Whereas wildfires and other emergencies have, and may again, present an ongoing threat to communities on Vancouver Island, including the closure of Highway 4;
And whereas the Island Corridor includes a West to East section of rail that connects the City of Port Alberni to the City of Parksville and Eastern communities of Vancouver Island, providing an alternative transportation route for both the movement of people and goods in the event of a highway closure and offer a greater ability to attack wildfires in that part of the region;
And whereas a minimal investment to the West to East Rail connection would be required to facilitate the use of Hi-Rail busses, trucks, and firefighting equipment at low speeds on this section of the rail line:
Therefore be it resolved that AVICC request that the province of British Columbia prioritize funding the minimum required upgrades to the West to East section of the Island Rail Corridor to allow for its use in the event of a wildfire or highway closure.
- Year: 2025
- AVICC Number: R02
- Sponsor: Alberni-Clayoquot RD
- Resolution Type: Regional
- Category: Transportation
- AVICC Decision: Endorsed
- AVICC Action: Communication with Sponsor, Conveyed to Province, Facilitated Minister Meeting at UBCM, Member Working Group
- AVICC Response link
- UBCM Decision: Not considered - Regional
- Provincial Response:Ministry of Transportation & Transit: Thank you for your letter of June 20, 2025, sharing with me the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities’ resolution requesting that the provincial government fund the restoration of the Island Rail Corridor between Parksville and Port Alberni to allow for its use during highway closures or emergencies. Our government recognizes the impact that highway closures can have on families, businesses and communities. We know that the closure of Highway 4 due to a wildfire in 2023 was difficult, and we have been working on an Emergency Detour Planning Study to look more closely at potential alternate access options for the West Coast. Ministry staff provided an update to the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s Transportation Committee about the study this past April. We look forward to sharing more information once the study is completed, which we expect will occur later this summer. You may know that in 2023, our government committed $18 million to allow for future corridor planning involving affected First Nations and regional districts. These groups and the Island Corridor Foundation have worked over the past year to engage with the public on developing a shared vision for the corridor. To support this public engagement and ensure everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts on the future use of the corridor, the provincial government has extended the time available to access the $18 million funding to March 31, 2026. The ministry continues to meet with First Nations, all levels of government and communities to explore the corridor’s future potential, including the portion between Parksville and Port Alberni. I have shared your letter with the ministry staff involved in this work so your comments can be considered as part of these discussions.
- UBCM Response link
The AVICC acknowledges that we are grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional territories of theCoast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwak-Waka’wakw Peoples