Rust Valley Restorers TV personality Avery Shoaf speaking with protesters outside the RCMP road block of Highway 1 on Wednesday evening/via Carole Herman Facebook
A make-shift attempt by a group of protesters to overtake the RCMP road block of the TransCanada Highway in the Shuswap Wednesday night has come to a peaceful end, thanks — in part — to a local celebrity.
The group, which organized itself on Facebook, had hoped to rally enough support to push through the RCMP closure of Highway 1 outside Sorrento, in the evacuation zone, claiming its plan was to provide support to those property owners still fighting fires inside.
The group was blocked on the TransCanada by numerous RCMP vehicles, and was confronted by Avery Shoaf of Rust Valley Restorers fame on the History Channel, who lives and works out of Lee Creek.
“I’ve been talking to the powers-that-be over there for a little while, the forestry, the fire commissioner, whomever it may be. We’re into talks right now. They’re allowing certain people to come over there to go to work to fight the fires. They need their S-100, or 180, or whatever the f**k it is,” said Shoaf.
At that point, one of the protesters attempted to interrupt Shoaf, saying “we don’t need a permit.”
“I’m not here to argue with you,” countered Shoaf.
The non-violent standoff lasted about an hour before the group eventually left without incident.
Word of the convoy did prompt the BC Wildfire Service to consider pulling its personnel out of the area.
Now-deleted notice put out online on Wednesday evening by the BC Wildfire Service
However, that decision was later walked back.
The demonstration along the TransCanada on Wednesday evening came just hours after the BC government confirmed it is planning on working with locals in the Shuswap to help fight the fires.
BC’s Emergency Management Minister says the BC Wildfire Service will be reaching out to ‘experienced and skilled’ individuals in the Shuswap to help bolster the fight against the Bush Creek East Fire.
Bowinn Ma says people who have defied the evacuation orders are putting at risk the “unified strategy” for battling the destructive blazes.
“When unauthorized people are in evacuation areas it escalates the danger involved for everyone, it also limits the kind of wildfire fighting tactics the BC Wildfire Service can deploy,” said Ma.
While Ma acknowledges some people want to stay and help fight the fires, she says it has become a divisive issue that is hampering response efforts.
However, Ma says the BC Wildfire Service is opening up a dialogue with people in the North Shuswap who are refusing to leave fire evacuation zones, to try and “create an understanding of the seriousness of the situation.”
“And as they’ve done in the past, in other communities, the BC Wildfire Service is (also) reaching out to skilled, experienced people in the Shuswap to try and incorporate them into their work.”
However, Ma stresses collaboration is key, explaining that the ‘collective fight is with the wildfire.’
“In order to do this, our efforts need to be united we need to work together, not against each other,” she said.
**Editors Note — strong language in the audio**
