North Cowichan mayor raises concerns about pedestrian safety in wake of teen's death

Emily Fagan · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 21 minutes ago

North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas says he's frustrated the state is not pursuing done connected its committedness to physique a pedestrian span implicit the Trans Canada road done his community.

It comes aft a 17-year-old precocious schoolhouse pupil was struck and killed Tuesday nighttime portion crossing the aforesaid road — the 3rd pedestrian to beryllium deed connected the road by drivers successful the Cowichan Valley successful the past month.

The politician says this calamity underscores ongoing information concerns successful the community, which has been calling for a pedestrian overpass for implicit a decade. Without it, helium says he's disquieted astir residents, peculiarly students from schools adjacent the highway, who often jaywalk to scope businesses and restaurants connected the different side.

"We've got the Trans-Canada Highway moving close done the mediate of our community," Douglas said

"It is an country that gets a batch of pedestrian traffic, and this does make immoderate beauteous large information concerns."

He says helium has been successful treatment with the Ministry of Transportation since 2023 astir putting a pedestrian span implicit the road astatine James St. successful North Cowichan, near Quw'utsun Secondary School. Douglas said helium expected to spot it confirmed successful the 2025 provincial fund — but was told precocious it wasn't going to happen.

However, B.C. volition money fencing astir the agelong of road betwixt James St. and Beverly St., works trees and rise the median to discourage pedestrians crossing.

While Douglas is grateful for the barriers, which helium says were portion of the archetypal plan, it doesn't relieve his concerns.

"It's decidedly a fto down from our end, due to the fact that we had been promised that already, positive this pedestrian overpass," helium said.

Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth, who didn't regularisation retired a span astatine immoderate aboriginal date, says helium believes the fencing volition beryllium a important archetypal measurement for the community and denied the determination was owed to backing issues.

Once the barriers are installed, helium says the ministry volition beryllium conducting further studies to "discover what further information measures are required."

"We instrumentality these information concerns precise seriously," helium said.

3 pedestrians struck successful a month

RCMP accidental a semi-truck deed a 17-year-old connected the Trans-Canada Highway astatine Trunk Road successful Duncan astir 8:40 p.m. connected Tuesday. The teen died successful the infirmary from their injuries. 

The 17-year-old was a pupil astatine Quw'utsun Secondary School, according to Jeff Rowan, the adjunct superintendent of communications and assemblage relations for the Cowichan School District.

"It's tragic," helium said. "We're surely moving with unit and students and the assemblage to bash each we tin to support."

Last month, 2 pedestrians were struck and injured, 1 critically, connected the Trans Canada Highway successful North Cowichan betwixt York Road and Beverly Street, near Quw'utsun Secondary School and adjacent to the intended determination for the pedestrian overpass.

Rowan says it's a engaged area, 1 that students often transverse connected their luncheon breaks to scope accelerated nutrient restaurants crossed from the school. 

"People are coming successful astatine road speeds and past they're told to dilatory down, [but] it is inactive a accelerated area," Rowan said. 

"Our concern, of course, is for the kid's safety; we person schools connected either broadside of the highway."

Rowan says the assemblage is seeking further answers from the Ministry of Transportation astir the caller barriers, including whether they could beryllium climbed, what results different communities person seen from them, and what they volition look like.

Student's decease 'heartbreaking': Cowichan Tribes chief

Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels said the community's taste workers are reaching retired to enactment students and younker successful the aftermath of the tragedy. 

"It is heartbreaking for our assemblage to acquisition different Cowichan younker being fatally injured arsenic a pedestrian successful our community," she said successful a statement. "I widen my deepest condolences to the household members, friends, peers, and teachers arsenic they grieve this loss.

For galore of our people, walking is their superior mode to get to and from their regular activities," she wrote. "With conveyance postulation continuing to increase, we proceed to request safer options for pedestrians done the road corridor."