Residents in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, have expressed worries about the safety of a section of Highway 19 on Vancouver Island following two fatal accidents that occurred within a 15-kilometer span last week. The incidents occurred within a short time frame.
A petition initiated by Nanoose Bay resident Zoe Todd in January 2025, in response to a previous fatality on the same highway stretch, has garnered over 1,000 signatures. The petition urges local and provincial authorities to collaborate and tackle the safety concerns. Todd highlighted that in the past five years, more than 200 crashes have happened on the highway between Lantzville’s Shell and Nanoose Bay’s Petro-Canada gas stations. Earlier this summer, cyclists in the mid-Island region also raised alarms about the same area, referring to it as a potential disaster zone.
Todd emphasized that the frequent incidents in the area are due to shortcomings in infrastructure, such as a lack of highway shoulder, sidewalks, and alternative routes, coupled with insufficient policing. She hopes that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) will collaborate to find solutions.
In Lantzville, where one of the accidents occurred, Fire Chief Neil Rukus suggested that increased enforcement could be beneficial. However, he believes that changing drivers’ behaviors and their approach to the highway would be more effective than merely focusing on the road’s design.
Todd stressed the need for a collective effort to address the issues on that highway section, emphasizing that the challenges are not unique to Nanoose Bay. The B.C. Highway Patrol echoed this sentiment, highlighting the necessity for a multi-agency approach to address the problems.
The MOTT confirmed that it is investigating the safety concerns and conducting a review to identify potential improvements along the corridor. Todd revealed that her petition is set to be discussed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention later this month.