PRRD releases results of Old Fort Road geotechnical assessment

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The results of a geotechnical assessment above the Old Fort community suggest the landslide risk has returned to controllable levels.

The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness issued an order for the Peace River Regional District (PRRD)  to conduct the assessment of the slopes above Old Fort in May, following a landslide in the area in April.

An evacuation order and alert were issued shortly thereafter, and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit began construction of a temporary access road to the area in mid-May

Orders to evacuate were lifted after the road was rebuilt, and after the geotechnical assessment, it is safe for residents of the area to return home. 

Emergency support services for area residents will cease on Friday, June 26th, according to the PRRD.

The PRRD hired BGC Engineering to conduct the assessment, with the company releasing the details on Tuesday, June 23rd, in a PRRD press release.

“BGC Engineering’s assessment found the landslide risk at Old Fort has returned to a level comparable to conditions following previous events,” reads part of the statement. “This baseline does not mean the risk is eliminated or low.”

It concludes that the area has been stabilized to a “familiar baseline,” as characterized in a 2021 geotechnical analysis, and that the risk of another landslide “does not meet the definition of imminent.”