Rose Hill and Juniper Ridge residents are invited take part in tours of two neighbourhood emergency evacuation routes near the end of the month. In a news release, the City of Kamloops said the self-driven tours will take place on Saturday, July 26. Residents can register to test drive the emergency evacuation route from Kicking Horse Drive that connects to Valleyview Drive, as well as the Coldwater Drive emergency route leading to High Canada Place in Rose Hill. Ty Helgason, the city's emergency preparedness manager, said the Juniper Ridge neighbourhood is unique for emergency evacuation routes, which are gravel roads that cross over private property at certain points. “The Juniper East route is lengthy, with multiple offshoots of other roads, making it critical for residents to familiarize themselves with it,” Helgason said in a statement. “This exercise in an invaluable opportunity to understand where the routes begin and end, and experience the different terrain and the road navigation, ensuring residents are prepared in case of an emergency.” Tours will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the drives taking between five and 15 minutes to complete. The city said vehicles will be led down the routes by a pilot vehicle, which will limit speeds, ensure safety and give residents an idea of the procedure that will be used in an actual emergency. Vehicles are limited to cars, SUVs and trucks. It’s the second time the city has planned a tour of the evacuation routes. Helgason said this July event is a good opportunity for anyone who missed the 2023 tour or wants a refresher, and will help new residents become acquainted with the routes. Anyone who wants to take part in the tours is asked to register online by 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 24. Residents unable to attend the tour can watch a video of the routes filmed in 2023 on the city website. The City of Kamloops said in the event of an emergency, HIghland Road — the only public road connecting Juniper Ridge with the rest of the city — will still be used to evacuate residents. If an emergency occurs, city staff and first responders will determine the safest way out for residents depending on the situation, and will provide direction and traffic control to get people out safely. Emergency evacuation route will be travelled before the public is allowed to use it to make sure it is in safe condition and isn’t impacted by whatever incident might be occurring. Since a lightning-sparked fire on July 1, 2021, forced tactical evacuations in Juniper and caused traffic backups on Highland Road, the city has established new evacuation routes. Earlier this year, Kamloops council heard the city was also planning to host evacuation tours for other neighbourhoods in the future.