Petitioners sought to pitch second Okanagan highway route

A Penticton woman is launching a second petition arguing for a second highway corridor between Kelowna and the South Okanagan.

Frustrated with repeated rockslides and closures on Highway 97, Kandace Sztepanacz gathered 1,700 signatures to ask the federal government to support a an alternative. She was told to go ask the province.

She’s now seeking signatures to bring the pitch to Victoria.

It comes after repeated closures on Highway 97 between West Kelowna and Penticton in recent years, most notably due to a 2023 rockslide that closed the route for weeks, forcing drivers to take lengthy detours.

Crews shored up the slope in a short-term job that fall, but the province then contracted Emil Anderson Construction to stabilize the area for the long-term, awarding the company a $23.2 million contract. The work started last year and it’s expected to be complete next spring.

Sztepanacz issued a statement to news media on July 23, announcing that the petition is now being circulated in the Okanagan and had recently garnered support from Keremeos village council.

“I have also begun reaching out to Members of the Legislative Assembly, municipal councils, regional districts, chambers of commerce, and other community organizations throughout the Okanagan to continue building support for the proposal,” Sztepanacz said.

Her previous petition was endorsed by Conservative MP Helena Konanz, which asked for coordination with the province to construct a highway between Naramata and Kelowna for a permanent alternative and bypass the bottleneck at Bennett Bridge.

It was presented to Parliament in March, but Canada’s housing and infrastructure ministry suggested she take the petition to the province.

The petition to Victoria will require hand signatures and Sztepanacz said it will be circulated in the region as she seeks support from the public and local governments.