PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT Hon. R. W. Bonner, Q.C., Minister A. I. Bowering, B.A.Sc., P.Eng., Deputy Minister REPORT OF THE Department of Commercial Transport containing the reports on COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, ENGINEERING, RAILWAYS, AERIAL TRAMWAYS, PIPE-LINES, INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION, and ACCIDENT PREVENTION YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1965 Printed by A. Sutton, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia. 1966 Victoria, B.C., January 27, 1966. To Major-General the Honourable George Randolph Pearkes, V.C., P.C., C.B., D.S.O., M.C., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: The undersigned respectfully submits the Annual Report of the Department of Commercial Transport for the year ended December 31, 1965. R. W. BONNER, Q.C., Minister of Commercial Transport. Victoria, B.C., January 20, 1966. The Honourable R. W. Bonner, Q.C., Minister of Commercial Transport. Sir,-—I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Department of Commercial Transport for the year ended December 31, 1965. A. J. BOWERING, B.A.Sc, P.Eng., Deputy Minister of Commercial Transport. Report of the Department of Commercial Transport, 1965 A. J. Bowering, B.A.Sc, P.Eng., Deputy Minister INTRODUCTION The year 1965 has been a dynamic one for the Department, resulting from industrial activity related to hydro-power development and expansion of the pulp and paper industry. We have experienced an upsurge in railway activity with the extensions of the Pacific Great Eastern and approximately 60 new spur lines or changes in existing industrial-railway spurs being made. At the present time we have, in addition to the two common-carrier railways, 36 industrial spur lines or minor railways in the Province. This number will increase as more pulp plants are built and new industry is established in the near future. The number and size of heavy loads of machinery moved by truck within the Province increased considerably in 1965. Many of these heavy loads were moved to provide necessary equipment for the new hydro projects and for construction companies to build the dams and install equipment. Movement of these heavy loads with a minimum of damage to highways and bridges has required a great deal of concentrated effort on the part of the Weigh Scale Branch staff under the Director of Operations, and they are to be commended on a job well done. Much heavy equipment must be moved to the various hydro-electric projects in 1966, and this will present major problems, particularly during the spring break-up period when roads will not carry as much weight. Aerial-tramway construction during the year has been extensive, and winter tourist business is being rapidly increased as a result. Most of these tramways are being built for skiers to enjoy the natural beauty of our mountainous country. Two major installations were under construction during the year, and the one at Garibaldi was opened for New Year's Day. The second large project, at Grouse Mountain, will be completed early in 1966. We have experienced a year of intensive activity, and there is every indication that 1966 will see even greater progress. V 6 BRITISH COLUMBIA fe o H 0. 0. X Z < 3 8 H u hJ O h-H H < S < o p. o H « O P_ « 2 < « H ^s J bo < ll: U a. B5 - M o 9 < o u to B. c o u Bi £ W (0 H 0. -i 9 < > H P a. W U V a o •3 «•* A Q < mo __u wS 1« Q -. H Z P o u o < 0 k. _. o o.S 'Be 09 a a -1 3 fc4 S -as o'Eb *© ■St o» §1 n «_ W a ■B £ 2l 4.00 6.00 110.10 1.00 7.50 7.01 19.00 42.01 25.82 Standard. Standard. Standard. 30" and standard. Standard. Standard. 30" and standard. Standard. 18". 18", 36". Standard. V 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA List of Railways and Summary of Mileage—Continued Industrial Railways—Continued Head Office Operating Mileage No. and Owners/Name of Railway Main Sidings, etc. Total Gauge 12. Crow's Nest Pass Coal Co. Ltd.. Fernie Vancouver Squamish Mesachie Lake North Vancouver Victoria- Victoria Kamloops Vancouver .. Vancouver . Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver ._ Mesachie Lake New Westminster New Westminster Calgary, Alta. Vancouver ..... Vancouver Vancouver. Vancouver Honeymoon Bay Quesnel Michel 1.53 1.53 ' 3.00 0.30 1 7.50 2.00 0.30 0.20 2.70 5.39 4.10 2.20 1.00 1.50 1.30 3.16 0.33 4.70 5.20 3.76 3.51 30". 13 Elk Falls Co Ltd 3.00 0.30 1.50 1.90 0.30 0.20 2.70 3.81 3.10 Squamish Mesachie Lake North Vancouver- 6.00 0.10 17. Island Tug & Barge Ltd.____ Vancouver — Kamloops _ _____ Chemainus — ___ Dunsmuir District Harmac Pulp Div. Port Alberni Powell River 19. Kamloops Pulp & Paper Ltd. 20. MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Ltd. 21. MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Ltd. 1.58 1.00 2.20 Standard. Standard. River Ltd. 1.00 River Ltd. 1.50 ] River Ltd. 25. MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Ltd. 26. Northwood Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. 1.30 3.16 Prince George _. Crofton Port Coquitlam New Westminster.. Taylor Prince George Woodfibre Twigg Island North Vanoouver.- Honeymoon Bay ~ Quesnel 0.33 2*8. Pacific Coast Bulk Terminals Ltd. 29. Pacific Coast Terminals Co. Ltd 30. Pacific, Jefferson Lake, Westcoast (Pacific Petroleums Ltd.) 31. Prince George Pulp & Paper Ltd. .. 4.70 0.71 3.54 C1) 5.20 3.05 Standard. Standard. 1.25 1 2.00 | 7.00 | 0.95 | 1 1.25 2.00 7.60 0.95 35. Western Forest Industries Ltd. 36. Western Plywood (Cariboo) Ltd. .. 0.60 Standard. ! 1 Ferry slip. Common-carrier Railways 37. British Columbia Hydro and Vancouver New Westminster- 76.58 35.29 111.87 Standard. Power Authority Hun ting don- Chill iwack 1 I 38. Pacific Great Eastern Railway Co. Vancouver Vancouver to Fort St. John and Dawson Creek 788.60 1 ! 166.10 954.70 Standard. Recreational Railways 39. Cowichan Valley Forest Museum.. 40. Stanley Park Miniature Railway Duncan Vancouver Saanich Duncan Vancouver Saanich 0.875 0.42 0.20 0.1251 1.00 36". 18" 10" AERIAL TRAMWAYS Aerial tramways, or ropeways, have become a major mode of uphill transportation in British Columbia. Like Switzerland, British Columbia is endowed with excellent winter playgrounds, so that Mont Blanc in the French Alps, the Matterhorn, and other famous mountain playgrounds of Europe are being equalled in grandeur DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 29 in British Columbia by names like Garibaldi, Seymour, Granite, Big White, and Forbidden Plateau, where recently uphill transportation has been provided by means of ropeways so that our mountain ski areas now rank with the best anywhere. The first common-carrier chair-lift in British Columbia was constructed in 1949 on Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. To assure safety and to protect the interests of the travelling public, the project was put under the jurisdiction of the Railway Act and treated for all intents and purposes as a common-carrier railway. The Grouse Mountain project was followed by a second chair-lift in 1951, and a third lift was built in West Vancouver to gain access to Hollyburn Ridge. In 1950 no rules existed anywhere in Canada, the United States, England, Australia, or in any English-speaking country to govern passenger-carrying aerial tramways. Therefore, the Department at that time conducted a survey of all ropeway facilities in the Western United States and subsequently published a report with a draft of recommended regulations. This report was sent for comment to various English-speaking countries, after which the British Columbia aerial-tramway regulations were published. The regulations were favourably accepted, and California used the British Columbia regulations as a basis for the California State regulations after an engineer from the Department acted as an adviser to the State board in Sacramento at its request. The British Columbia regulations were the first anywhere to be printed in English, and as a result the Department for a number of years checked and approved aerial-tramway designs for the Government of New Zealand. The American Standards Association used the original British Columbia regulations as a norm for the American Standards Association standards on passenger-carrying aerial tramways in the United States. It can therefore be assumed that British Columbia has played the leading role in North America in formulating safety rules with respect to ski lifts and transportation by ropeway. In 1963 the Canadian Standards Association approached the Department. It pointed out the need for a safety code or a Canadian standard to govern the construction and operation of passenger-carrying aerial tramways across the nation, as no recognized standard existed except in British Columbia. Transportation by ropeway was increasing, and much of the equipment was being imported from France, Switzerland, and Norway, so that each European manufacturer was free to impose any design he pleased, and safety was apt to be sacrificed to satisfy the competitive trends of international trade. On the other hand, the purchasers in Canada had no knowledge of the dangers involved, and in some cases they were quite carried away by the idea of importing equipment from the ski countries of Europe and took the safety facilities for granted. The Canadian Standards Association set up a committee to formulate a Canadian standard safety code for passenger-carrying aerial tramways. The Chief Engineer of the Department was appointed as chairman of the committee, with engineers from each Provincial Government as members along with other engineers representing the National parks of the Federal Government. Manufacturers in Canada, the United States, and other countries are represented on the committee, as are representatives from the wire-rope manufacturers and ski operators' associations across the nation. Meetings have been held in Banff, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa. The next meeting is scheduled for Victoria, B.C., in April, 1966. The new Canadian code is in its fourth draft, and it is expected it will be accepted and published in 1966. There will be a standing committee as with other C.S.A. codes to keep the code abreast of the times and up to date. V 30 BRITISH COLUMBIA 'I;-,''---": Upper terminal, under construction, of the new Grouse Mountain aerial tramway. This multi-storied structure will incorporate a modern dining-room and cocktail lounge. The year 1965 has been significant in the number of large aerial tramways, or ropeways, constructed during the year. A large reversible tramway, which employs two locked coil track ropes with attendant haulage and tail ropes to control two 50-passenger cabins or aerial coaches, is under construction on Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. The project, when completed, will cost $1,750,000. In order to assess the magnitude of this project, it must be viewed as a complex involving not only the tramway, but a huge lower terminal station housing the machinery, operative personnel, cafeterias, ticket offices, waiting-rooms, washrooms, and a parking area for hundreds of automobiles. The upper station includes, in addition to the station landing area, an ultramodern dining-room and a cocktail lounge with the necessary amenities to accommodate the public. Access will be immediately available to the new Grouse Mountain Chalet and the ski areas served by two chair-lifts, a T-bar, and several rope tows. In the Garibaldi and Alta Lake area, another huge mountain playground was opened up in 1965 by the use of aerial tramways or ropeways. Whistler Mountain and Mount Garibaldi are in the same general area, and the alpine meadows are common to both mountains. Ski enthusiasts all agree that alpine meadows provide the ultimate in snow conditions for ski-ing, and Whistler-Garibaldi is the only place in the world which provides snow conditions where ski-ing may be done throughout the 12 months of the year. To gain access to the mountain area, a large and modern Swiss-built gondola- lift has been installed which employs 62 four-passenger gondola cars travelling uphill at 520 feet per minute to carry 600 passengers an hour to the mid-station, where a double chair-lift 7,000 feet long transports 600 passengers an hour to the alpine meadow area. Here a modern Swiss-built T-bar is provided. For those DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 31 Tower, under construction, of the Grouse Mountain aerial tramway. Cleveland Dam and Capilano Estates are visible in the background. who do not wish to ski in the high-altitude meadow, a modern Swiss-built T-bar is situated adjacent to the lower terminal of the gondola-lift at Alta Lake. Two new modern hotels in an alpine motif have been constructed adjacent to the lower terminal of the gondola, and in addition four new self-owned multi-storied apartments have been built on high promontories so that the over-all effect when completed will compare with Sun Valley, Idaho. The hotel and apartment area with the lower terminal are adjacent to and served by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and in addition the new Squamish-Pemberton Highway is the main street of the new recreational complex. In the Rossland-Trail district another Swiss-built Mueller chair-lift has been constructed during 1965. It carries 600 passengers per hour over its 9,000 feet, raising the passengers 2,600 feet to the ski area. This lift was tested and approved in December, 1965, so it was in operation for the 1965/66 ski season, augmenting the existing facilities on Red Mountain where a chair-lift and poma-lift have been operating for a number of years. V 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA In the Courtenay-Comox-Cumberland area, the Mount Becher Ski Development Society is extending a T-bar on the Forbidden Plateau. In the Nanaimo district a poma-lift is being installed on Green Mountain in the Nanaimo Lakes area. This project was not completed by the end of 1965 as a heavy snow blanketed the terrain between Christmas and New Year's. This project is a first in a rather unique way as it is served entirely by an industrial road. Crown Zellerbach Canada Limited has entered into an agreement with the Green Mountain Ski Club to allow access over the logging-road by the public when working conditions permit. A ski lodge is provided at Green Mountain to accommodate the skiers. A chair-lift is proposed for 1966 to make the alpine meadows on Green Mountain more accessible to the ski-ing public. Near Kelowna, at Big White Mountain, excellent ski-ing conditions exist. Big White is served by two T-bars, and a good road is maintained by the company operating the tramway facilities. A new lodge or alpine hotel and additional ropeway facilities are planned for 1966. T-bars were under construction during 1965 in the areas of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Penticton, Osoyoos, Kamloops, Blue River, and Fernie. It is expected the year 1966 will see huge strides in the construction and improvement of ski facilities, as well as summer tourist facilities, through the use of aerial tramways or ropeways throughout British Columbia. This dynamic development of the recreational areas of British Columbia by the use of ropeway transport during 1965 has increased the aerial-tramway facilities in British Columbia by over 30 per cent. Aerial Tramways Registered with the Department of Commercial Transport to December 31, 1965 Location No. and Name Location Gondola Chair- lift T-bar J-bar Rope Tow Industrial Freight North Vancouver 1 1 .... 2 1 1 1 2 i i i i i i i i i 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 , 1 1 1 1 1 "T i i i i i i 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 North Vancouver. 8. Kemano (Alcan) Kemano 1 11. Wells 12. Dog Mountain (B.C. Telephone) 13. Mount Jarvis (CN.) _ Wells South-west of Hope 1 1 1 North of Kamloops _ 2 17. Mount McKenzie 18. Silver Star Revelstoke Vernon East of Kelowna 19. Big White 21. Pine Woods 22. Amber Ski Hill Princeton West of Penticton West of Grand Forks Kimberley 26. North Star 27. Fernie (Snow Valley) „ 28. Silver King .. 29. Salmo Totals . 2 7 23 5 : 16 3 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 33 V 34 BRITISH COLUMBIA •«•_ -*~ '--' ' Westcoast processing plant at Fort Nelson. PIPE-LINES The trend to expand pipe-line facilities for the transport of oil and natural gas has continued through 1965 with bright prospects for 1966. In the Peace River and to the north of the Peace River Block, exploration has continued, so that new wells, both gas and oil, have continued to be brought into production, and consequently pipe-lines have been extended to transport the products to market. In the Fort Nelson area, the Clarke Field and the Apache Field have become substantial producers. With the advent of the new 30-inch Westcoast Transmission line extension from Chetwynd to Fort Nelson, this northern area has become important to the economy of British Columbia. As this gas is sour, a scrubbing plant has been installed at Fort Nelson and is now operative. The aforementioned 30-inch pipe-line was constructed to about half completion under the jurisdiction of the Department pursuant to the British Columbia Pipe-lines Act, and all the pipe and appurtenances were approved and ordered accordingly; however, due to financing arrangements, the Westcoast Transmission Company Limited applied to the National Energy Board for leave to complete and operate the line under Federal control and, after a public hearing, leave was granted, so that the main line now operates under Federal jurisdiction with the gathering system under Provincial jurisdiction. The compressor-stations over the entire system of Westcoast Transmission are inspected by Department inspectors as most of the appurtenances, such as pressure vessels, engines, turbines, fire protection, including the safety of workmen, are strictly Provincial matters. The same applies to the pumping-stations of the Trans Mountain Oil Pipe Line, and the Department inspectors, likewise, inspect and certify these stations annually. During 1965, pollution of streams and farm land was reported through the Fish and Game Branch and through the Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources. Engineers from the Department made investigations and reported that DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 35 the trouble had been corrected to the satisfaction of those authorities concerned. In all cases the causes were leaks in pipe-lines due to earth movement. A survey was made of the Inland Natural Gas Company's facilities in the Penticton area with respect to the depth of cover. In all cases it was found the pipe was buried deeper than required by the regulations; however, where earth settlement or flooding occurs, there is no guarantee that a pipe-line might not be exposed, but if the exposure is in muskeg, no danger exists to the public, and one such small area was observed. Problems have arisen with respect to subdivisions of land where a pipe-line exists. In all cases, Department engineers, in applying the A.S.A. B31.8 Code, found the pressure could be adjusted and the subdivision approved commensurate with the population index as provided in the code. In the Boundary Lake, Wildmint, and Milligan Fields it was necessary for Department engineers to check on the scrubbers and other pressure vessels used at the production batteries. It was found that over 400 unregistered pressure vessels were in these fields, and the engineers registered the vessels and stamped British Columbia numbers where such vessels met the requirements of the code. In some of the older gasfields it is now necessary to install compressor-stations so that the lower-pressure gas can be fed into high-pressure pipe-lines. In some cases secondary recovery has progressed to the point where water-injection stations are combined with compressor-stations. Our engineers test and certify all such installations, and in many cases approve high-pressure water-injection lines as sometimes such lines are ultimately used for the transmission of high-pressure gas. As these fields grow older, an increase in secondary recovery can be expected, and recent developments indicate that unmarketable liquefied petroleum gas may become an important factor in deep-well secondary recovery. During the year, schemes to pipe natural gas to Vancouver Island have been proposed. In addition, some study has been directed to liquefied methane gas to serve Vancouver Island and for transpacific export. Department engineers study all such proposals. It is expected that one day a break-through will occur so that what seems unrealistic today will certainly be the realities of tomorrow. There has been an increase in the handling of liquefied petroleum gas by railway tank cars and jumbo cars. This has been brought about due to trial shipments of this product to Japan. The shipping-docks and rail unloading being under the jurisdiction of the Railway Act has brought the Department engineers and inspectors into this phase of work as public safety is involved. In one case it was necessary to attend a Town Council meeting to assure the Reeve and Councillors that the movement and storage in and adjacent to the town was quite safe. In all cases the piping involved is tested in accordance with the pipe-line regulations, and the handling and unloading of liquefied petroleum gas are in accordance with the Department's regulations in that respect. An application was made to the National Energy Board by Canadian Hydrocarbons Limited to construct a pipe-line from north-west of Calgary, through the proximity of the Crowsnest Pass, and continue westward parallel to the Canada- United States Border, and to terminate in Port Moody, B.C. Propane and other liquefied petroleum gases were to be the principal products of the line. Officials of the Department attended the hearings held in Calgary, Alta. The National Energy Board had not, at the end of 1965, handed down its decision. The Canadian Standards Association Committee on Gas and Oil Pipe-lines has continued to be quite active during 1965. The Department's Chief Engineer has continued to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Gas Pipe-line Committee, and reports V 36 BRITISH COLUMBIA progress in that the Oil Pipe-line Code has been voted upon with a majority vote, as has the Gas Pipe-line Code; however, he points out there are a few areas where it would be advantageous for the industry and the jurisdictional bodies to agree on matters respecting the safety of pipe-lining being commensurate with the economics of the industry as a whole. Broadly speaking, therefore, it can be predicted British Columbia will see an increase in the use of pipe-lines in 1966. Annual Inspections Under the Pipe-lines Act, 1965 Miles of new pipe-line inspected and tested 131 Compressor-stations inspected 27 Pumping-stations inspected 16 Accidents investigated on pipe-lines Gas distribution and metering stations inspected 13 Number of tank-farms inspected 5 Number of new extensions to pipe-line projects approved 65 Number of pipe-line crossings of railways inspected 2 Number of pipe-line crossings of highways inspected 3 Number of pipe-line crossings of other pipe-lines approved 23 Power-line crossings over pipe-line right-of-way approved 14 Approval of plans and specifications for pipe-line projects 65 Investigation of pipe-line problems involving subdivisions 4 Certificates of inspection issued under the Pipe-lines Act authorizing the operation of new extensions to pipe-line projects 65 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 Pipe-lines Approved, Inspected, and Tested, 1965 V 37 Name of Company Oil or Gas Project No. Pipe-line Location Altair Oil & Gas Co Gas 1283 Buick Creek. Dome Petroleum Ltd.- 1284 " 1280 " 1314 Rigel Creek. 1335 Boundary Lake. Inland Natural Gas Co. Ltd. ;; 1282 1294 1301 1305 1316 1321 1322 1323 1324 1328 Prince George. Kamloops. Canoe. Canim Lake. Hudson Hope. Chetwynd Robson. Hudson Hope. Prince George. Brilliant. " 1288 Laprise. " 1339 Fort Nelson. " 1343 Buick Creek. " 1344 Fort St. John. Skelly Oil Co. " 1287 Jedney. " 1341 Jedney. Oil 1281 Fort St. John. 1285 Stoddart. " 1295 Weasel. <, " 1296 Whitehall, West Beatton. " 1297 Mink. " 1298 Peejay. " 1299 Bulrush. " 1302 Nancy. " 1303 Boundary Lake. " 1304 Osprey. " 1325 Bulrush. " 1326 Wildmint. " 1327 Peejay. " 1333 Wildmint. " 1334 Wildmint. " 1342 Weasel. Triad Oil Co. Ltd Gas 1286 Laprise. 1289 Oil 1290 1291 1293 Aitken. Aitken. Milligan. Western Natural Gas Co., Inc Gas 1300 Clarke Lake. " 1338 Nig Creek. V 38 BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 39 V 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA INDUSTRIAL ROADS The year 1965 has been one of expansion in the logging industry, as illustrated by the number of new log-hauling vehicles manufactured for use in the Province. One major truck-manufacturer alone has produced over 120 logging-trucks for industrial-road service. The British Columbia logging industry is not one to mark time when it comes to the use of new machines to facilitate the harvesting of our No. 1 natural resource. In the past it has been portable spar trees and then log-truck trains. In 1965 rubber-tired log-skidders have found their place in the scheme of things. They are most often used in steep, rough terrain, where their speed and flexibility make them a welcome addition to log transportation. However, it was discovered that the braking effort on the majority of these machines was inadequate for the steep slopes on which they were required to work. This was a case of the manufacturers and the Department having to " get their heads together " and arrive at a solution. This was accomplished to the point where these vehicles now have a good factor of safety, with some units having increased their braking output by 100 per cent. In the matter of accidents, once more fatalities have been recorded. While this year there were only two truck-drivers killed, as compared to eight the previous year, it is felt that these could have been avoided had the men taken the normal precautions. With over 7,000 truck-drivers certified as air-equipped vehicle operators, two were suspended for failing to perform their duties in a safe manner. This small percentage reflects the success experienced by the Department in the matter of educating the operators of air-equipped logging-trucks in the operation, testing, and maintenance of air-braking systems. While runaways will continue to occur despite the best efforts of all concerned, it is noteworthy that no accidents resulted from a failure of any of the safety equipment which is required to be installed under the Industrial Transportation Act. :-£%» , Remains of a runaway logging-truck awaiting investigation by Departmental engineers. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 41 New air-brake equipment is constantly being produced by various manufacturers and is subject to testing and approval by the Department before being put to use in the logging industry. It is felt in some quarters that the demands of the Department are too rigid, but it is a matter of record that the State of California, which most nearly approaches our standards, has in the past approved devices that have been rejected in British Columbia. These devices subsequently proved to be dangerous under certain conditions and had to be removed from use. Therefore, while the standard of equipment required on logging-trucks operating on industrial roads in British Columbia may seem unduly high, the results obtained justify this more rigid requirement. On the subject of accidents, seven investigations were conducted for the R.C.M.P. highway patrol into truck-transport accidents where inspectors of the Department were successful in determining the causes of the accidents. Again, as in previous years, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were trained in the inspection of air-equipped transport vehicles. The result of this is that a greater number of transport units are inspected properly, which is a benefit to the truckers as well as to the travelling public. An increasing number of British Columbia vocational-school students received instruction in the operation and maintenance of air brakes, and the Department has been instrumental in the various schools obtaining air-brake equipment for training purposes. Mechanics in industry have again availed themselves of the night-school courses on air brakes offered by the Department, and, as has been the case in the past years, the classes were oversubscribed. The public has begun to realize that industrial roads in the Province can open up new summer and winter areas for sightseeing, camping, fishing, and hunting. Access to these roads has been made available in many areas by logging companies, and with continued co-operation by visitors regarding rules of the road and restricted areas, there is reason to believe that in time many more people will be able to enjoy these facilities. Annual Inspections Under the Industrial Transportation Act 1963 1964 I 1965 Logging-trucks inspected.. Gravel-trucks inspected..._ Crummies (workmen's buses).. Miscellaneous vehicles (including highway vehicles) Air-brake lectures.. _ Lecture attendance Logging-truck operators certified .. British Columbia vocational schools and other institutes (air-brake examinations) . Royal Canadian Mounted Police (air-brake examinations) _ 388 34 277 412 33 373 361 122 5 573 44 244 303 23 534 528 108 20 295 68 158 110 21 450 350 158 28 V 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA Air-brake Lectures Conducted During 1965 Attendance Date and Place at Lectures January 27—Haney Correctional School 38 October 26—Haney Correctional School 34 February 2—Burnaby Vocational School 16 September 18—Burnaby Vocational School 15 March 22—Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Cloverdale 25 July 15—Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Princeton 4 June 9—Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Terrace 4 April 15—P.G.E. truck-drivers, Vancouver 5 July 30—P.G.E. truck-drivers, Vancouver 4 April 1—Col wood logging-truck drivers 13 June A—Nakusp logging-truck drivers 33 June 8—Kitimat logging-truck drivers 34 June 15—Port McNeil logging-truck drivers 10 June 17—Holberg logging-truck drivers 18 July 5—Hope logging-truck drivers 32 July 14—Princeton logging-truck drivers 30 July 27—Highways Department drivers, Cloverdale 27 July 28—Squamish logging-truck drivers 44 August 24—Powell River logging-truck drivers 26 November 25—Northwest Bay logging-truck drivers 24 December 2—Sooke logging-truck drivers 14 Total 450 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 43 ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAMME In all branches of the Department, the importance of safety has been the consistent policy throughout the year. The importance of safety has been emphasized at all levels, and supervisors have been constantly on the alert to improve the working habits of not only the staff, but also those members of the public with whom our men in the field are brought into daily contact. Our safety supervisor reports that at the weigh-stations the results of our safety drives have been most rewarding, and weighmasters constantly endeavour to impress the drivers of heavy vehicles that a properly loaded and well-maintained vehicle in the hands of a competent driver is the best safety device on any highway. In our Engineering Branch, safety to workmen and safety to the public has been the theme over many years. The engineers report that truck-drivers, locomotive engineers, brakemen, ski-lift operators, and pipe-line constructors must be properly trained in the use of equipment, otherwise accidents will occur. The engineers point out that a safe workman is an asset to the industry which employs him, but that in many phases of industry, such as transport, the industry does not have the specialized technical personnel to train its employees in the use of air brakes and in the maintenance of special braking equipment used on heavy grades. Over the years our engineers have become not only experts in the intricacies of air brakes, but they understand first hand the conditions under which the equipment is expected to perform. Consequently they put on lecture courses for heavy- duty mechanics and conduct air-brake and driver courses for logging- and transport- truck drivers. They go further by conducting special courses to train the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the city police forces, and the drivers of heavy equipment employed by the Department of Highways. Most truck transport companies insist that an " air ticket " is a requisite to hold a job driving on the highways. The Engineering Branch maintains a school or lecture-room in its Vancouver office, complete with air-brake systems laid out on boards so the working of the brakes can be seen and understood. Compressed air at 110 p.s.i. is available to operate every phase of the various braking systems on display. Movie projectors and still projectors, as well as blackboards and cut-aways of the various components, are used to display for the edification of the more serious students. A similar lecture- room has been set up at the Nanaimo Vocational School by our engineers, where they lecture to all graduating classes of mechanic apprentices. Similar lecture- rooms are planned for Prince George and Nelson. As the work of driver education must go on in the remote areas of the Province, in logging and mining camps, as well as in Interior centres such as Kelowna and Cranbrook, the engineers have rigged up two half-ton panel trucks with completely portable air-brake demonstration boards so that the boards may be demonstrated in a garage or in a convention hall. Air is supplied from the vehicles by the use of 100-foot lengths of air hose. The two air-brake units are actually travelling schools, and each unit is equipped with both slide and movie projectors, as well as with books or pamphlets, to prepare the applicants for examination. The units have been taken to remote points such as the Queen Charlotte Islands to train drivers of heavy equipment, and the industry gladly provides the transportation of the unit to such remote areas. The engineers hope to install a lecture-room for railway air brakes, as they are required to train engineers and brakemen for the expanding rail facilities serving the wharves and terminals in the Lower Mainland area. V 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA Traffic on all logging and industrial roads which are not public highways comes under the jurisdiction of the Department. Engineers advise the companies as to safe traffic procedures and assist them in formulating special rules to accommodate the public on company roads or to assure safety where traffic flows through company towns such as Kitimat, Kemano, Cassiar, Ocean Falls, Beaver Cove, and many other such areas not served by public roads. Public protection and safety is therefore of prime importance in this phase of our work. In ski areas of British Columbia our engineers have approved over 50 lifts, or ropeways, serving the public. In a number of cases, passengers are carried through the air by ropeways, and it is conceivable under these conditions that accidents could happen. However, the safety record is good, since a very strict code of regulations is enforced and engineers make periodical safety inspections in all areas each year with respect to all matters which might lead to accidents. Safety programmes on railways under the Department's jurisdiction have been intensified under the direction of the Chief Engineer. Specific reports respecting railways are set forth in the railway section. In addition, special committees have been set up to advise on the handling of compressed gases such as chlorine and liquefied petroleum. This has been done in the interests of public safety, with the activities of these committees extending to transport on highways. The Department is represented on the Safety Council, and all meetings are attended in an effort to lend support and to keep abreast with every phase of accident prevention. ,-, : HL m if ■I: Si I 1 WH liWlL MP*1! ~:.i:.\'-~Ji;ii:/X Safety awards presented to nine Provincial departments, including a Bronze Award of Merit to the Department of Commercial Transport, November, 1965. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 45 ACCOUNTS BRANCH D. I. Ewan, C.O.A., Senior Clerk A revenue increase of 9 per cent for commercial vehicles this year again indicates a steady increase of commercial-vehicle traffic throughout the Province. An increase of 19 per cent in oversize and overweight permit revenue is indicative of the trend toward the greater use of restricted-route permits, oversize and overweight permits. There was a 12-per-cent increase in restricted-route permits issued over last year. A further indication of the growth of the commercial trucking industry within the Province is shown by the number of temporary motive-fuel emblems issued by this Department in the field. In assisting the Motive Fuel Branch of the Department of Finance, weighmasters have issued 4,626 of these emblems during 1965, compared to 3,325 in the preceding year. During February, 1965, the invoicing of charge account permits was switched from manual ledgers to data-processing equipment. The amount of time saved in preparing invoices themselves (12 minutes as against 24 man-hours) has enabled us to keep up with the steadily increasing volume of permits issued in the field and to increase the level of auditing. During the year 48 new accounts have been opened, while only 11 have been cancelled. At December 31, 1965, there were 434 active accounts. The system of auditing company reports of overweight vehicles operating under the authority of a term permit is proving quite effective. Reports are received from all weigh-scales within the Province of the movement of such vehicles. These are compared with the returns from the company, and any discrepancy is brought to the attention of the company for correction. During the year there were only 39 cases where changes were required. As indicated in the last Annual Report, new mileage charts were prepared and circulated to all issuing offices during the year. These were also provided to industry through various organizations. Statistics are now being kept of the number of vehicles hauling used household goods from Provinces which have entered into reciprocal agreements with British Columbia. As these agreements were completed earlier in the year, complete figures for a 12-month period are not available. The trend, however, indicates a freer movement of these vehicles, and it is anticipated that in future years these agreements will be of great value to the industry. The continued acceptance of the prorate agreement with 16 American States is indicated by statistics kept in the Department and shows an increase of revenue from the companies prorating vehicles. These statistics include, other than licence and decal fees, such allied operating assessments as motor-carrier fees, motor-fuel taxes, non-resident permit fees, and social service taxes. In order to assess the scope of prorate operations and to audit returns from the companies, this office maintains a record of mileages operated by prorated vehicles within the Province. This information is gathered from all border-crossing weigh-scales, which report monthly all vehicles entering the Province under prorate licences together with the mileage of each trip. This mileage is summarized and made available to any Government department requiring this type of information, and in particular is used to check applications from companies for licences in the following year. Other statistics have been kept, and surveys have been made relating to the class, number, type, and weight of vehicles operating within the Province and across V 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA Provincial boundaries. The approximate mileage operated by commercial vehicles in British Columbia is recorded, and various factors concerning the use of nonresident commercial-vehicle permits are tabulated. These facts are used to audit returns from companies and to check applications for new licences. The following tables show results of the activities of the Weigh Scale Branch during the past year. Other tables relating to the Engineering Branch are included elsewhere in this Report. Table 1.—Revenue from Gasoline and Motive-fuel Use Taxes for Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Fiscal Year Amount Fiscal Year Amount 1953/54 $15,963,000 1959/60 $28,582,000 1954/55 17,455,000 1960/61 30,093,000 1955/56 19,820,000 1961/62 39,262,000 1956/57 22,593,000 1962/63 43,129,000 1957/58 24,500,000 1963/64 46,420,000 1958/59 26,100,000 1964/65 50,865,000 1 Includes vehicles licensed under prorate agreement with American States. Table 2.—Summary of Commercial-vehicle Licences and Permits Issued, January 1, 1965, to December 31, 1965 Number of Number of Number of Non-resident Permits Issued Number of Number of Number of Commercial Commercial Temporary Oversize and Vehicle- Month Vehicles Reg Trailers Reg Operation Overweight Checked istered and istered and Permits Permits at Weigh- Licensed1 Licensed1 Issued Issued stations January 20,588 5,287 826 1,827 2,061 87,020 February 71,194 5,450 865 1,870 2,899 96,295 March 19,607 1,280 1,463 3,943 2,803 96,900 April 6,976 419 1,355 3,330 1,761 99,912 May 5,741 575 1,049 3,623 1,971 79,950 June 5,094 489 1,688 3,616 3,605 88,090 July 3,698 302 1,496 3,478 2,775 109,753 August 2,994 316 1,672 3,263 3,384 93,552 September 2,977 432 1,748 2,980 2,342 97,371 October. 2,622 186 1,257 2,855 3,603 123,253 November 2,458 157 1,213 2,799 2,861 100,006 December 2,200 125 1,150 2,500 2,600 109,228 Totals 146,149 15,018 15,782 36,084 32,665 1,181,330 i Includes vehicles licensed under prorate agreement with American States. Table 3. —-Summary of Prorate Operation , 1965 Companies Prorated Tractor Units Trailer Units 59 202 238 2,076 181 United States 4,286 Totals 261 2,314 4,467 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT, 1965 V 47 Table 4.—Comparison of Gross Revenue Collections from Commercial Licence and Permit Fees for Five-year Period 1960/61 to 1964/65, Inclusive. Source 1960/61 1961/62 1962/63 1963/64 1964/65 Commercial motor-vehicle licences Non-resident commercial permits _ $7,541,536.02 401,976.11 60,325.00 $7,938,605.82 478,156.17 57,452.34 $8,253,251.46 381,673.01 61,408.52 62,909.21' 368,715.57 $8,910,152.29 | $9,706,485.52 404,410.49 | 410,645.40 74,298.71 | 81,223.2-- Temporary operation permits Oversize and overweight permits — 45,765.00 317,568.53 58,442.51 321,730.55 i 66,001.38 | 80,692.20 447,680.61 | 530,171.28 $8.367.170.66 1 $8,854,387.39 $9,127,957.77 $9,902,543.48 !$10.809.217.62 Table 5.—Summary of Violation Notices Issued, January 1, to December 31, 1965 1965, Licence and Permit Violations Gross vehicle weight Motor-vehicle registration Licence-plates Trailer plates Quarterly licence Non-resident permit Temporary operation permit Motive-fuel emblem Overweight permit required Oversize permit required Restricted-route permit Highway-crossing permit Proration Other Total violations Total number of vehicles checked 1,782 775 770 168 26 50 10 76 31 44 368 26 3 15 4,144 1,181,330 Motor-carrier Violations Motor-carrier plates not displayed Motor-carrier licence not carried _ Conditions of licence not carried __ Operating otherwise than permitted by licence Total violations 549 494 382 430 Total number of vehicles checked 1,855 15,864 Oversize and Overweight Violations Oversize and overweight violations issued 783 Oversize and overweight prosecutions, including those through Royal Canadian Mounted Police 947 V 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA PERSONNEL A. Shaw, C.O.A., Administrative Officer Activity in the field of personnel management was quite intensive during 1965 and resulted in the following staff changes being made:— Retirement of field personnel 1 Resignations of field personnel 7 New appointments, casual employees 11 New appointments, permanent employees 1 Transfers within the Department 10 There were seven resignations from the field staff of the Weigh Scale Branch, all of which were in the interest of personal advancement of the individuals concerned. Mr. Elden F. McKay retired from service on the 10th of August, 1965, after 2>Vz years as a weighmaster with this Department. Mr. McKay served at the Parks- ville weigh-scale station on Vancouver Island. To fill the vacancies occasioned by the aforementioned resignations and retirement, competitions were held in Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Prince George, Golden, Hunter Creek, Cranbrook, Creston, and Vancouver during the year. It is of interest to note that the high degree of interest shown in the competitions for positions with this Department is being maintained, as is indicated by the number of applications received in the various centres of the Province. As the degree of industrial activity increases in a particular area of the Province, it often becomes necessary that increased service must be rendered by the Weigh Scale Branch staff in that particular area. This situation requires that staff be transferred from other areas of the Province to take care of the additional work load incurred through the increased industrial activity. In the economic interests of the Department generally, and in some instances as a result of personal requests, several transfers of weighmasters to other locations within the scope of Departmental operations were made during the year. The staff at the end of the year comprised the following: Civil Servants, 19; casual employees (weighmasters), 78; temporary employees, 2. In accordance with policies established, the status of weighmasters has been changed from a " casual " classification to that of " permanent." The necessary administrative changes in this regard are currently being undertaken, and it is anticipated that change-over will be complete at an early date in 1966. Printed by A. Sutton, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia. 1966 360-166-1522