To improve the safety and reliability of the Malahat corridor the province proposes widening 1.7 kilometres of the highway near the provincial park, plus the installation of over 1.5 kilometres of a median barrier. The highway however would remain one lane in each direction.
According to the 2024 environmental assessment report, the ‘improvements’ will not be without environmental circumstance. Even with mitigation measures such as upstream habitat restoration and removal of invasive weed species, the project is expected to cause long-term environmental damage.
Mature coniferous forest habitat would be permanently lost including the potential loss of endangered and vulnerable cosystems.
Riparian vegetation near the Goldstream River would also be removed, causing the "permanent loss or alteration" of important habitat for salmon and amphibians. The report also notes that wildlife habitat would shrink and become fragmented, and nearby cliff areas could see the loss of roosting sites for bats.
Protesters also believe the project includes the clearance of over 700 trees from the west bank of the river, destroying the shade canopy needed to keep the water cool for spawning fish.
For more information please visit the article at the Peninsula News Review and the Wilderness Committee website as well as the Government of BC website regarding "improvements".
