Provincial posted Nov 29, 2021 @ 02:00pm by Josh Duncan

BC extends state of emergency and fuel limits until mid-December

British Columbia’s state of emergency due to flooding and historic storms has been extended until Tuesday, Dec. 14.

Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth made the announcement this afternoon, and added that the temporary order to limit fuel for non-essential vehicles has been extended to the same date.

The order is only in place for the Lower Mainland-to-Hope, Sea-to-Sky, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island regions and it limits motorists to 30 litres of fuel per trip to the gas station.

“The significant weather that we have seen continues to create challenges for Trans Mountain and the transport of fuel through the pipeline,” he said.

“The fuel conservation measures are working and I want to thank British Columbians for their patience, but we need to stay the course for another two weeks until we have the Trans Mountain pipeline back online.”

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia

Farnworth added that the province needs to ensure its supply chains and ensure that emergency service vehicles have the fuel they need to function in these difficult times.

He stressed that the fuel conservation measures are working and said that “they are temporary and we will drop these measures as soon as we are able to.”

Fuel continues to come into BC by rail and barge, but Farnworth said British Columbians “need to stay the course” until a pipeline supply is back up and running.

The pipeline normally brings in about 85% of the fuel that’s required for refining.

The extension of the state of emergency will support the ongoing response and recovery from the widespread damage already caused, while also positioning the Province to take whatever steps necessary in the days ahead.

It also means that non-essential traffic is prohibited from using a number of highways in BC, including both routes between the Lower Mainland and Interior that reopened today.

Those highways include: