A new geotechnical assessment has found the landslide risk in Old Fort is no longer considered imminent. The landslide forced the evacuation of the small community in mid-April.
The B.C. Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness issued an order earlier this spring directing the Peace River Regional District to assess slope conditions above the community. The district contracted BGC Engineering in late May to complete the review.
According to that assessment, landslide risk has now returned to levels comparable to conditions following previous events in 2018 and 2020.
Engineers say that baseline does not eliminate the danger entirely, but reflects a stabilized situation similar to what has been documented in earlier studies, including a 2021 geotechnical analysis.
Based on those findings, BGC Engineering concluded the situation does not meet the definition of “imminent risk.”
The update marks a shift for residents who were previously under evacuation orders and relying on support services while the assessment was underway.
Emergency Support Services, which remained available even after evacuation orders were lifted and Old Fort Road reopened in May, will now come to an end.
Officials say those supports will expire Friday, June 26, and residents currently receiving assistance are being asked to make arrangements to return home.
While the report suggests conditions have stabilized, officials have emphasized the risk has not been eliminated and continues to reflect the known hazards tied to the area’s history of slope instability.