Northeastern B.C. community again cut off after landslide prompts evacuation orders

In 2018, a landslide on Old Fort Road affected resident’s access to the community of Old Fort, 5kms south of the City of Fort St. John. Ministry of Transport, screengrab

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Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued in the small community of Old Fort in northeastern B.C. because of a landslide.

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The Peace River Regional District earlier this week declared a local state of emergency and says all residents of properties east of Old Fort Road should leave their homes — except for the residence at 7711 Old Fort Road — because of the potential danger caused by active and increasing ground movement.

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Old Fort is a community about five kilometres south of Fort St. John. Several other properties are on alert.

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In an update Friday, the district said B.C.’s Transportation Ministry has closed the road causing community isolation.

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“There is no safe road access to or from the community,” the statement says. “The landslide remains active and unstable.”

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The statement says in the active part of the landslide was noted to be moving up to 10mm a minute on Friday.

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Postmedia has contacted B.C.’s Transportation Ministry for more information on the size of the landslide but multiple reports say it is about 400 metres wide and has destroyed part of the road.

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The statement says ministry geotechnical staff are at the site to monitor the slide’s movement.

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It’s not the first major landslide in the area. In 2018, a landslide on Old Fort Road affected resident’s access to the community. The road was repaired, but after the heavy rains in mid-June 2020, the slide moved again.

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The ministry conducted a review of long-term options, which examined alternative routes into the community of Old Fort and determined the best option was to continue using the existing route while conducting further geotechnical assessment to identify potential improvements.

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More to come…

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