It's now up to Falkland and North and South Shuswap residents to determine whether road rescue service get rolling in those areas.
Alternative approval processes (AAP) for the establishment of road rescue services in Electoral Areas C, D (Falkland), F and G, gets underway on May 22, 2025.
At it's May 15 meeting, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) board voted to proceed with the AAPs. Through this process, the service receives approval unless 10 per cent or more of the electors submit response forms in opposition. That amounts to 753 responses from South Shuswap (Areas C and G) electors, 272 from the North Shuswap and 99 from Falkland.
Elector responses must be received by Monday, June 30.
"I express my full support for this very important, necessary service that is presently not in all the areas," commented Area C director Marty Gibbons.
Gaps in emergency road rescue have been in the sights of CSRD protective services staff for several years now.
At the January 2023 board meeting, former protective services team leader Derek Sutherland reported only two rescue societies and two fire departments (Golden and Revelstoke) were providing road rescue services within the CSRD.
"Portions of Electoral Area D are serviced by Vernon Fire and Electoral Areas F and G are primarily serviced by Chase Fire,” reported Sutherland. “These areas are identified as gaps because of larger-than-adequate response times.”
In March 2025, Regional Fire Chief and new protective services manager Sean Coubrough asked the board to support using AAPs to acquire assent to use taxation funds for the delivery of road rescue services in under-serviced areas.
“Three separate reports commissioned by the regional district have determined that while there is no legislative requirement for any governing body to provide road rescue in the province… this legislative void has not eliminated the need for road rescue as a matter of public safety,” reported Coubrough. “These reports have highlighted the need for select CSRD fire departments to provide road rescue services in under serviced areas.”
If approved, road rescue in the North Shuswap will be a single service based out of the Celista fire hall. The team will be comprised of members of the Celista, Anglemont, and Scotch Creek Lee Creek fire departments. In the South Shuswap, the road rescue service will be based out of the Shuswap Fire Department and will respond in most sections of Area G with coverage extending to under-serviced portions of Area C, including Eagle Bay. In Falkland, the service will be based out of the Falkland Fire Department and will respond in Falkland and to under-serviced portions of Area D and the Regional District of the North Okanagan.
Road rescue responses to any area outside the service areas identified in the bylaws will be reimbursed to the service area by the province through the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
