REVELSTOKE, B.C. — The federal government’s decision to help fund the remainder of the Trans-Canada Hwy. (TCH) through New Brunswick has sparked some envy among the Western provinces.

Saskatchewan was quick to point out it has more than 100 kilometres of untwinned TCH that should receive attention and now Revelstoke is reminding the government about ‘the killer highway.’

Running from Lake Louise in Alberta to Salmon Arm, B.C., this stretch of highway serves up about 12 fatalities every year.

“It was fine when it was built in 1962, but with the increased traffic today in terms of trucking and tourism, it’s become a real killer highway,” says Revelstoke resident, Merv Krywa, leader of the lobby group Revelstoke for a Safe Trans-Canada Highway. “I’m very convinced that ther eis no other way than to have this highway twinned or improved in such a way it can handle the traffic flow.”

Revelstoke mayor, Gail Bernacki, agrees it was a slap in the face to ignore one of the deadliest stretches of the TCH while devoting more than $200 million in funding to the highway’s New Brunswick portions.

“We already feel alienated out west enough,” she tells local media.