Dear Editor,

Thank you very much for the excellent article in your magazine (Truck West, March).

We have received responses from all over Canada and have started a petition.

Truckers phone us from Ontario on their way west and ask us to put their name on the petition and they will be stopping by on their way through. Some have been to our store before.

Unfortunately, I have had absolutely no luck with all departments of the government.

I thought with an election coming up a little pressure might help.

I have spoken to our MLA, and the department of Highways (they seem to be quite unreasonable) and the assistant to the Minister of Transportation.

I sent all copies of our e-mails to our MLA, the Minister of Transportation and Premier Gordon Campbell.

Whether they have read them or not, I do not know.

We don’t know where to go now.

We watch the intersection daily and see the traffic hazard when large trucks who have loaded in West Creston with dairy products, hay, potatoes and other farm products pull of our road, Nicks Island Road, onto highway 3.

Because of the ditch they have to pull out into oncoming traffic, which is quite busy at times.

A few weeks ago a trucker’s back wheels went into the ditch because he had to cut the corner too tightly to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle.

Tourist season is coming up and the traffic will be heavier. The farmers in the area will need the truckers to deliver produce more often and stopping on the corner or on the highway to grab a fresh sandwich and some homemade baking can do wonders for a trucker.

One trucker last week was pulling a pup trailer as well, all filled with potatoes.

He came into the store for lunch and snack items because his load was on its way to Mexico.

He had no idea when the next stop would be. It was difficult to find a place to stop.

Should the petition not work we wondered if the truckers could help in some way?

Perhaps some kind of rally would be an idea.

I don’t know if this would be a wise move just before an election or not.

If you or anyone else has any suggestions, please feel free to pass them on.

We would be happy to fax our petition to any interested trucker or trucking company.

The more names we have the stronger our message will be.

Once again, we are both very grateful for your article and your interest in our cause. n

Dan and Bonnie Ward

Mugwumps Country Store

Creston, B.C.

250-428-0120