Protest disrupts B.C. highway traffic on day of carbon tax hike

Drivers travelling along some B.C. highways were warned of delays Monday due to planned protests.

Emil Anderson Maintenance, which provides highway maintenance for B.C.'s Transportation Ministry, shared a warning late last week of possible traffic disruptions near Hope.

"The traffic disruptions may result from a public demonstration," the notice shared on social media said. "The information we have about this event is thin and vague … it is unclear where exactly potential impacts on traffic will materialize and how long the disruptions will last."

The maintenance company said it believes the demonstrations could impact morning traffic along Highway 1, Highway 3 and Highway 5 corridors near Hope.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a social media post from DriveBC warned there were delays between Laidlaw and Hunter Creek, west of Hope. Drivers were told to "use caution and watch for pedestrians on the shoulder." The alert said the right lane was closed because of the protest.

A group called Nationwide Protest Against Carbon Tax originally identified an area near Silver Creek as one site of its planned demonstrations starting Monday. The group later said that site was "compromised" and shared a notice to participants to meet further west along the highway, near the Hope scale.

That group says it's "mobilizing Canadians for a peaceful, united front against the carbon tax."

"The message is clear and straightforward: the carbon tax undermines the financial stability of Canadians. The objective remains the total abolition of the carbon tax," a statement shared online about the group's "core message" says. "The demonstrations are scheduled to commence on April 1st and will persist relentlessly until our voices are heard, and the tax is rescinded."

Jeff Galbraith, one of dozens of demonstrators participating in the protest along Highway 1 Monday, told CTV News Vancouver he thinks the carbon tax should be scrapped.

"Food costs are going up, heating costs are going up, gasoline prices are going up and the thing is it just doesn't seem to stop," he said.

"What is the carbon tax for? Because it's certainly not helping the climate, so what is it really all about? And that's what Canadians want to know. Where is all this carbon tax money going to?"

As of Monday, the national price on pollution rose by $15 per tonne, which will lead to higher charges for more than 20 different fuel sources that produce greenhouse gas emissions when burned for energy. For drivers, that means about three cents per litre will be added to the price of gas.

Emil Anderson Maintenance advised drivers to plan an alternative route or to allow for additional travel time as a "precautionary measure."

"We are in regular dialogue with the RCMP and will be working closely with them to minimize any inconvenience," the company's notice said. "The safety and interests of our community and its residents are our utmost priority."

CTV News Vancouver has reached out to the RCMP for more information.