Project Goal: To improve road safety and emergency preparedness in Tsay Keh Dene by implementing culturally inclusive signage and real-time communication tools that reflect the community’s unique geographic and linguistic context. Ensuring bilingual traffic signs align with BC Municipal Traffic Sign Standards

1. Install Road Safety Signs in English and Sekani while maintaining municipal traffic sign standards as outlines in the Motor Vehicle Act and Traffic Control Manual.
   • Develop and place bilingual road safety signs throughout the community to promote safe driving practices and increase accessibility for Sekani-speaking residents.
   • Collaborate with Elders and language keepers to ensure accurate and respectful translations.
 
2. Implement a Stationary Solar Powered Speed Sign:
   • Solar powered speed limit sign entering community; to both protect pedestrians & reduce dust emissions thus improving visibility and  air quality.
     • Display current speed
     • Display ‘Slow Down’ when over max speed
     • Able to download data on road speed trends to better collaborate with local authorities on Road Safety Initatives
   • Train local staff to update, download and maintain the system regularly.
3. Address Infrastructure Limitations:
   • Acknowledge that the community has only one unpaved road in and out.
   • Ensure signage and message board placement considers visibility and durability in remote, rugged terrain.
   • Ensure signs are aligned with municipal traffic sign standards to both help Class 7L (learners) and Class 7 (novice) drivers prepare for their Road Test and ensure all drivers new to the area understand the traffic signs.
   • Ensure signage and speed board is equipped to withstand environmental conditions of the area: wind (up to 90km/hr) & dust storms, snow, rain, temperature fluctuations (+30 degrees Celsius in the summer to -36 degrees Celsius in winter)

Expected Outcomes:

• Increased road safety awareness and reduced accidents.
• Improved emergency response and communication.
• Strengthened cultural visibility and language revitalization through public signage.
• Help build community capacity–  specifically for licensed drivers. Through having signage that conforms with BC municipal traffic sign standards and is relevant for our sekani speaking population.

Tsay Keh Dene is a remote First Nations community with only one unpaved road in and out, making road safety and emergency communication critical. The lack of paved infrastructure, combined with frequent environmental hazards such as flooding, wildfires, and extreme weather, poses significant risks to residents and visitors. These conditions can lead to road washouts, limited visibility, and dangerous driving surfaces,increasing the likelihood of accidents and isolation during emergencies.

Key Issues Identified:

• Limited Road Infrastructure: The single access road is unpaved and vulnerable to seasonal damage, including erosion and flooding, which can cut off access to essential services.
• Lack of Road Safety Signage: There are few, if any, formal road signs in the community, and none in the Sekani language. This limits accessibility and safety for Elders and community members who primarily speak Sekani. This is also a disadvantage to class 7L and 7 drivers that are in process of learning safe driving practices.
• Community Feedback: In recent planning meetings and sharing circles, Elders and community members expressed concern about the lack of culturally relevant signage and the need for better communication tools to ensure safety, especially for drivers that are speeding while entering the village. It poses risks to both pedestrians and reduces visibility due to dust.

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Evidence of Need:

• Elder Testimony: Elders have emphasized the importance of language visibility and cultural safety in public infrastructure, noting that bilingual signage would support language revitalization and respect for Sekani ways of being.
• On-the-Land Camp Feedback: During the Moose Valley Family Camp, participants highlighted the need for clearer road safety measures and it can address immediate community road safety needs that attribute to not only strengthening community safety but also enhance road safety culture within the community.
• Local Observations: Community members and emergency personnel have observed the lack of road safety signage. Making it tough to enforce road safety initiatives and properly prepare new drivers for safe driving practices.

This project directly responds to these concerns by providing tangible infrastructure improvements that enhance safety, promote cultural inclusion, and strengthen road safety culture