Cracking at Old Fort slide in B.C. prompts officials to send shelter-in-place order

Officials are urging people in a residential community in northeastern B.C. to shelter in place due to the risk of a landslide. A slow moving landslide is seen inching down a hillside in northern British Columbia, prompting the evacuation of nearby Old Fort, B.C., in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-B.C. Ministry of Forests and Lands, Marten Geertsema, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

FORT ST. JOHN — Officials are urging people in a residential community in northeastern B.C. to shelter in place due to the risk of a landslide.

A statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit says cracking has been seen at the site of the “historic Old Fort slide,” about five kilometres south of the city of Fort St. John, prompting staff to close the road on Sunday.

Emergency Info BC sent out a statement on the X platform on Monday, saying the Old Fort Road is closed and impacted residents must remain sheltered in place until the road is reopened to the public.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official updates and review their personal preparedness plan.

The ministry says it understands the road closure will impact people, but it will need to “undertake a full evaluation” due to safety reasons before a timeline for reopening can be confirmed.

The ministry says it’s working with the Peace River Regional District and the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness to coordinate response efforts, with a focus on “restoring and maintaining road access.”

In 2018, a landslide on Old Fort Road damaged the only road that provides access in and out of Old Fort and prompted evacuations in the community of about 150 residents. Following heavy rainfalls in June of 2020, the slide moved again, damaging the road a second time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April. 20, 2026.