Car accident
A 71-year-old man from Powell River was airlifted to hospital in Vancouver Monday morning, June 3, after an accident involving a Toyota Camry and a dump truck in Gibsons.
Just after 10 am RCMP, BC Ambulance Service paramedics and the Gibsons Fire Department were called to the accident scene at Hough Road and Highway 101.
According to RCMP, the preliminary investigation has revealed that the 71-year-old driver of the Toyota drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic and collided with the back end of the dump truck. The dump truck ended up in the ditch, while the car came to rest a short distance away.
Firefighters extricated the driver of the car as his leg was caught in the vehicle. The air ambulance landed in a nearby parking lot, where paramedics airlifted him to Vancouver for treatment of his injuries, which were not life-threatening.
Police say no criminal charges will be laid, but there may be Motor Vehicle Act charges laid against the driver. Police say a possible medical condition may have played a factor in the accident.
Traffic was re-routed for more than an hour while the accident scene was cleared.
- Ian Jacques, Coast Reporter
Trail makes list
Powell River’s Sunshine Coast Trail has been chosen as one of the best camping destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
Sunset added the 180-kilometre trail to its list of favourite campgrounds in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia. It is one of three singled out in British Columbia. The other two are China Beach Campground in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park and Nairn Falls Provincial Park, north of Whistler.
The magazine points out visitors don’t have to hike the entire trail to stay in one of its 12 huts. “Many are easily accessible from nearby logging roads,” it notes. “The most spectacular digs are the winterized (i.e. cozy) Tin Hat hut, built in 2011, which sits high on a ridge facing the Salish Sea, Vancouver Island and the BC coast. You may share the sleeping loft with a few other campers, but the chanterelles you find in the forests below are yours to keep.”
Wireless upgrade
Telus is investing $170,000 in Powell River this year to enhance its wireless and broadband Internet coverage in the community.
“Telus’s $170,000 investment means people and businesses right here in Powell River will have more access to the Internet and enhanced wireless services,” said Raymond Lawson, Telus’s general manager for Vancouver Island. “The demand for advanced communications services is exploding in Powell River and Telus is committed to bringing the latest technology, both wired and wireless, to the community.”
Use of high-speed Internet continues to improve in rural areas around Powell River, but there are still areas where connection is limited.
The investment will enable Telus to provide local businesses and residents with access to innovative services like 4G wireless, high-speed Internet and Optik TV. It is part of a $3-billion, three-year commitment to invest in BC made last year and builds upon the $29 billion Telus has already invested in operations and technology throughout the province since 2000.
