Editor:
I am relatively new to the Coast. Could someone please enlighten me as to why there is not more public demand for a road or bridge connecting us to the mainland?
The ferry is a constant drain on finances, inconvenient and a source of frustration.
A road/bridge would be a one-time expense, subsidized by the savings from no longer operating the ferry, and there could also be a toll until it was paid off.
The Coast is a special place, and a direct link would certainly have an impact. But in this case, I believe it would be definitively favourable. So many of the problems here are due to a lack of population to support things, mainly jobs, but the impact is felt and seen everywhere: empty retail stores, for sale signs running along Highway 101.
The arguments about crime, gangs, and suburban sprawl stretching across Howe Sound seem a bit outdated and exaggerated. What would come across are jobs, growth, savings, convenience, culture, opportunity and the ability to truly access a major internationally known city only a short distance away.
Mark Durland, Garden Bay
