Making an electric avenue

Photo: The Canadian Press

A coalition of mayors along Highway 3 is looking to rebrand the highway to attract more tourists.

The Highway 3 Coalition has recently added a tourism subcommittee to look at ways to bring more travellers through the area.

That includes rebranding the highway, which Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff called the "southern Trans-Canada Highway."

With initiatives to bring more electric car charging stations to stops along the highway, the coalition wants the highway to be rebranded as the "Electric Highway."

"There are many, many electric car charging stations along the highway, now," she said. "We think that's a positive, to encourage people to use electric cars and that we can provide a very well mapped and a good route to get from one charging station to another."

She said stations appear at places like motels and wineries, and that some towns have several stations.

"It's just trying to promote our area, Highway 3, from a tourism point of view," she said.

City and town halls whose mayors are a part of the coalition were asked to sign a letter in support of the proposition, which would then go to the provincial government.

McKortoff added that the Highway 3 Coalition considers the highway to be a safer route than the Coquihalla or Highway 1, which both have higher speed limits.

"We think Highway 1 and Highway 5 tend to be the much faster routes. People are trying to get from A to B as fast as they can," she said.

"We're suggesting: Take your time, be a visitor in your own province, don't rush because every small town you will come to has something interesting that you would want to stop for."

She added that while newer, faster charging stations are out there, Osoyoos is maintaining older, slower stations that will keep people in town for longer.

"We want them to go to a restaurant, we want them to walk around the streets," she said. "We don't want them just to come in, sit there and get their car pumped up and drive off."

She said Highway 3 is also a more scenic route for people to experience southern B.C.

"We think it's a much more interesting route, and there's lots to see along it," McKortoff said.

"It's safe, it's slower. And that's a good thing."