Northern mayors renew cell coverage call

BC Highway Patrol said officers found a white shuttle bus heading north in a ditch. Around 20 passengers and the driver were hurt, with injuries from minor to serious.

Several air and ground ambulances took the injured to get treatment. Responders had to close Highway 39 completely during the emergency.

North District RCMP CPL. Jennifer Cooper said it was hard to communicate from the area while the incident was happening.

“Unfortunately, where this incident is occurring, as people in northern B.C. are familiar with, is in an area of no cell reception,” Cooper said. “Even spotty and weak Starlink and radio communication has been proving difficult.”

The mayors statement says B.C. has about 15,000 kilometres of main and secondary highways, but only 62 percent had cell service as of January 2026.

Prince George Mayor Garth Frizzell said northern communities have brought up this issue before. He mentioned a 2024 resolution passed by the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

“We have said repeatedly, and most recently in 2024, we got a resolution passed with the Union of B.C. Municipalities saying to the provincial government, we have to move on this, and it hasn’t happened yet,” Frizzell said.

The 2024 resolution was put forward by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. It asked the province to improve cell infrastructure along Highway 16 East from Prince George to the Alberta border.

The resolution also included other B.C. highways that don’t have enough service. It listed safety, connectivity, and economic well-being as top priorities.

Frizzell said you can find coverage gaps just a short drive from Prince George. He also linked reliable communication to future investment and resource projects in the north.

“It’s the mines. It’s the resource work that’s going to be coming,” Frizzell said. “And we still don’t have coverage. We need communication. We need reliable, predictable communication. We deserve it.”

Mackenzie Mayor Pete Kyllo and Frizzell said northern and regional municipalities will keep pushing for better communication services.

The joint statement also asked for a helipad in the new acute care tower at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia. It did not give a timeline or promise for the helipad or more cell coverage.

The cause of the crash is still unknown. BC Highway Patrol said there have been no arrests and all possibilities are still being considered.

Police are asking anyone who saw the bus before the crash or has dash-cam footage to contact BC Highway Patrol.

by Dave Branco

Northern mayors renew cell coverage call

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