“When I’m 64” sang the Beatles into my life, so I decided to revisit Skutz Falls and ride the beautiful Cowichan River on a tube one last time.
Over the years, in all my travels and everyone I met, I stated emphatically that river tubing from these falls to Marie Canyon was the best adventure in life.
However, getting there was a bit of a shock and vastly more dangerous than riding the rapids — 100 kilometres per hour speed limit on an undivided highway, where logging trucks, farm vehicles, tourists, cyclists and one per cent-ers heading for the racetrack, all travel on a highway where only a thin ribbon of yellow paint separates them from a 200 km/h head-on collision.
I believe the speed limit was a reasonable 80 km/h back in the day.
What fool increased it to 90 km/h?
And who is the criminally insane person(s) that made the Lake Cowichan Highway (with multiple residential and business driveway accesses) a 100 km/h speedway?
The median-divided Inland Highway from Parksville up Island was 100 km/h until recently.
Now at 120 km/h, there are vehicles travelling in excess of 130 km/h. And I’ve seen them in the ditch, with only a light dusting of snow. Black ice anyone?
In a province that has no yearly vehicle inspections, I find these deadly speed limits to be an abomination, especially with impaired and distracted drivers, teenagers and seniors, all roaming about.
Many do not even install proper winter tires.
Finally, the big yellow “Elk” warning sign as one turns onto Hwy. 18 from Hwy. 19, merits a posted night time reduced speed limit.
Other critters can also cause deadly accidents.
Something must be done, sensibility must return to protect family travellers and wildlife on Hwy. 18.
Gord Byers
Parksville