British Columbia Highway 16

Highway 16 is the British Columbia, Canada, section of the Yellowhead Highway. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway. The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1942, and originally, the route that the highway took was more to the north of today's highway, and it was not as long as it is now. Highway 16 originally ran from New Hazelton east to an obscure location known as Aleza Lake. In 1947, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was extended all the way east into Yellowhead Pass. Highway 16's alignment on the Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1984, with BC Ferries beginning service along Highway 16 to the Haida Gwaii the following year.

Haida Gwaii Highway

The 1,347 km (837 mi)-long B.C. segment of Highway 16 begins in the west in the village of Masset, on the northern coast of Graham Island. Proceeding south, the highway goes 38 km (24 mi) to the inlet town of Port Clements. Winding its way along the boundary of Naikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for 27 km (17 mi) before reaching the community of Tlell. 36 km (22 mi) south of Tlell, Highway 16 reaches Skidegate, where its Haida Gwaii section terminates.

Yellowhead Trans-Canada Highway

BC Ferries then takes Highway 16 across the Hecate Strait for 172 km (107 mi) due northeast to its landing at Prince Rupert.

From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through the Coast Mountain Ranges. Following the Skeena River, the highway travels for 151 km (94 mi) to the city of Terrace. Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 in Terrace, and the two highways share a common alignment for 91 km (57 mi) northeast to the Kitwanga junction, where Highway 37 diverges north. Another 43 km (27 mi) northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along the Bulkley River. 68 km (42 mi) later, the highway reaches the town of Smithers, proceeding southeast another 64 km (40 mi) to the village of Houston.

At Houston, Highway 16 begins a parallel course along the little Bulkley River, proceeding 81 km (50 mi) east to its junction with Highway 35 at Burns Lake. 128 km (80 mi) east, after passing through the hamlet of Fraser Lake, Highway 16 reaches its junction with Highway 27 in the town of Vanderhoof. 97 km (60 mi) east of Vanderhoof, Highway 16 reaches its B.C. midpoint as it enters the city of Prince George at its junction with Highway 97. Highway 16 leaves Prince George after coursing through the city for 9 km (6 mi) .

120 km (75 mi) east of Prince George, Highway 16 reaches the community of Dome Creek, where it converges with the Fraser River and turns southeast. It follows the Fraser River upstream for 82 km (51 mi) to McBride, then continues upstream for another 64 km (40 mi) to its junction with Highway 5 at Tête Jaune Cache. 14 km (9 mi) east of Tête Jaune Cache, Highway 16 enters Mount Robson Provincial Park, coursing through the park for 63 km (39 mi) to the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta within Yellowhead Pass.

Highway of Tears

A series of unsolved murders and disappearances of young women has earned the route the nickname the "Highway of Tears" along the 800 km (500 mi) section of highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert.^{[1] [2]} It is unknown how many women have been killed or have suspiciously disappeared since 1969, but some estimate the number could be as high as 43. By October 2007, Project E-Pana, an investigation by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) examining the similarities among these murders and disappearances, determined that 18 of them show enough similarities to be linked. These are the unsolved murders and missing-persons files that are collectively called "The Highway of Tears" case.

Families of the victims are urging that something should be done to eliminate hitchhiking as the main mode of transportation. "They're almost like caught in a Catch-22, right? What do they do?" a former police volunteer said. "Some come from impoverished families so they can't afford even the cost of a vehicle." In March 2006, nonprofit organizations established a list of 33 recommendations for increasing the overall safety of the community. Their list included a shuttle bus system, emergency telephone booths on parts of the road without cellular service, and programs to educate parents to be more attentive to their children’s travel plans. So far, progress has been made on about half of the recommendations, funded partly by a $52,000 government contribution.

In addition, spurred on by native leaders, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is officially investigating the unsolved murder or disappearance of nine women between the ages of 14 and 25 since 1974, most of whom were hitchhiking along the highway.

The idea that the murders were all caused by one serial killer is unlikely, yet possible considering all the similarities between the victims including their ethnicity. A former police officer, has begun his own investigation and has attempted to retrace the last steps of the victims. "The terrain is difficult; the bodies could be dumped anywhere," he says. "But that's no excuse for not finding out who is behind these murders.” The police have gathered enough information to declare that there have been at least eight victims, all of which have similar M.O.s: Ramona Wilson, who left home with the intent to meet a friend; Roxanne Thiara, whose body was found in Burns Lake; Delphine Nikal, who was last seen hitchhiking home; Alisha Germaine, a young girl who had just left a holiday dinner and was later found stabbed to death; Lana Derrick, last seen at a service station; Nicole Hoar and Tamara Chipman, who were also hitchhiking home; and Aielah Auger, who was reportedly seen getting into a black van before her body was discovered off the road. All of the young women were last spotted traveling along or near the highway.^[3]

In 2009 police converged on a property in Isle Pierre, in rural Prince George to search for remains of Nicole Hoar, a young tree planter who went missing on Highway 16, on June 21, 2002. The property was once owned by Leland Vincent Switzer who is currently serving a prison sentence for the 2nd degree murder of his brother. The RCMP also searched the property for the other missing women from the Highway of Tears, however no further actions followed the investigation.^[2]

One of the victims found alongside the highway, 16-year-old Ramona Wilson, was a subject of a 2006 documentary film by Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh, entitled Finding Dawn.^[4][5]

In February 2006, private investigator Ray Michalko of Valley Pacific Investigations, an ex-member of the RCMP, ran an ad in a northern community newspaper asking for anyone with information regarding the Highway of Tears to call him. The newspaper ad generated a number of calls and five years later, in 2011 Michalko is still conducting his Tears investigation, and continues to believe that there is more than one killer responsible for the Highway 16 missing and murdered women.

Michalko, who said that when he became a cop, he would’ve done it for room and board, claims that his ability to blend in, being comfortable working alone and independently and his ability to gain the trust of a wide range of people have all helped in his investigation. See ref http://www.northword.ca/april-2007/private-investigator-moved-by-highway-of-tears

References

External links

• Travel BC Yellowhead Highway information.
• Call for RCMP action on highway of tears