The Coquihalla Connector, also known as Highway 97C, opened in 1990. It cost $225 million (in 1987 dollars) for pavement, labour, and fences. It brought Okanagan residents 90 minutes closer to the Lower Mainland. To lessen the impact of the new road on wildlife, the Connector has a $10.5 million wildlife protection system. This features a 100-kilometre fence on both sides of the highway to keep deer and moose off the road. There are also 25 wildlife underpasses and one overpass to allow animals to roam freely. The wildlife fence is a success. In 1991, 27 deer were killed on Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland, which did not have a fence at the time. But only one was killed on the Connector. The new highway has boosted growth in the Okanagan by attracting new businesses, new residents, and year-round visitors.

Today we take roads for granted. From the Okanagan Valley, we can easily travel to Vancouver. For a region to grow, roads are important. They provide communication links as well as business and recreation opportunities. Roads are used to make money. Over the years, Okanagan trails and roads have carried furs, gold, fruit, and supplies of all kinds. People are more likely to settle in areas where road transportation is readily available. Good roads give people independence and improve their quality of life. Roads are expensive to build. But their value has always been far greater than their cost to the country and to its people.