PRRD cancels evacuation order, and issues alert for Old Fort Road

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has cancelled the evacuation order for the Old Fort Landslide while an alert remains in place.

According to an official notice by the PRRD on May 21st at 12 p.m., residents and service providers are now permitted to return to the area. 

This comes after an emergency alert was issued on April 20th, asking people in Old Fort to prepare to evacuate “immediately” as a landslide is posing a “significant risk to life” on Old Fort Road. 

The notice said the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) has completed construction of a temporary access surface across the landslide and reopened Old Fort Road as of 12 p.m. on May 21st.

A previous update on May 19th said MOTT had made significant progress on the construction of the temporary road access over the May long weekend. 

The PRRD has also issued an evacuation alert to replace the evacuation order as a precautionary measure, given the temporary nature of the current access road surface. 

The alert applies to all areas east of 7711 Old Fort Road, but not including 7711 Old Fort Road. 

This means residents should remain aware of road conditions and be prepared to follow instructions should a future evacuation become necessary. 

The precautionary alert will be in place until MOTT can establish a permanent access road surface across the landslide in the coming months. 

For questions and concerns about the road construction effort, people can call 250‑787‑3237 or check the ministry’s DriveBC Old Fort advisory page.