B.C. Pauses Malahat Highway Barrier Expansion Through Goldstream Park Over Environmental Concerns

The B.C. government has halted plans to widen protective barriers along Vancouver Island’s Malahat Highway through Goldstream Provincial Park, opting instead to conduct further environmental and safety reviews.

The decision follows years of opposition from environmental advocates and First Nations members concerned about the project’s impact on sensitive ecosystems and culturally significant lands.

For the past three years, W̱SÁNEĆ elder Carl Olsen has protested weekly along the Malahat corridor, arguing that the proposed construction threatened both a salmon-spawning river and forested areas where W̱SÁNEĆ Nations once maintained a village site.

Olsen said the project could have put approximately 700 trees and the river’s salmon habitat at risk.

“I celebrated with tears when I heard that,” Olsen said of the province’s announcement. “I think it’s really important that we have the opportunity now to have a voice.”

The Ministry of Transportation and Transit confirmed Thursday that it will take time to reassess the project’s environmental impacts and complete a new safety review later this year. The process will include consultations with local First Nations.

While environmental groups welcomed the pause, emergency responders warn that safety concerns along the Malahat remain unresolved.

The highway carries more than 25,000 vehicles daily and serves as the only direct road connection between Greater Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island. Although more than half of the Malahat section of the Trans-Canada Highway now has median barriers, narrow stretches — including the portion through Goldstream Park — remain without them.

Glenn Cooper, deputy fire chief at Malahat Fire Rescue, said head-on collisions continue to be a serious risk in those unprotected sections.

“Inaction is not improving the situation,” Cooper said. “How many people honestly have to die before we realize that we need to come up with an option that is safe and environmentally viable?”

Cooper acknowledged that median barriers have reduced head-on crashes where they’ve been installed but said they are only a partial solution. With the South Island’s population continuing to grow and the only alternative route requiring a 140-kilometre detour, he believes upgrading the Malahat remains essential.

While alternative routes and major upgrades have been studied in the past, the province says no new road alignments are currently being pursued.

Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said the updated corridor review is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will evaluate whether additional safety measures are needed.

“Our priority is to ensure the corridor remains safe, reliable, and able to meet the needs of the region well into the future,” Farnworth said. “Any future improvements must also meet a clear environmental standard.”

Olsen said he hopes to work collaboratively with the province during the review process and believes safety improvements don’t necessarily require expanding the highway footprint.

From years spent protesting along the road, he suggests options such as lower speed limits or increased enforcement could improve safety while preserving the surrounding environment.

“I feel happy,” Olsen said, “but I still feel like there’s work to do.”