Editor:
When the U.S. economy is likely to tank because of huge debts of the nation and commerce/industry, it is probable that the Canadian dollar will improve versus the U.S. dollar. This will most likely render our Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill uneconomical and it will have to shut down.
This will have a major impact on our southern Sunshine Coast economies. In order to avoid such stagnation it will be necessary to attract economically viable residents (commuters) into our communities.
With tedious commuting times from the east, south and Squamish into Vancouver, our area becomes a very attractive location provided there is a reliable and affordable traffic link to reach Vancouver.
Two options present themselves: the road and bridges fixed link via Anvil Island or an hourly affordable ferry service which provides adequate capacity during the commuter travel times from 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
Looking at the cost calculated by the contractor, the $2.5 billion cost for the Anvil Island fixed link connection is very high. (Calculating the Route 7 replacement with a road link costing $2 billion, it appears unaffordable.)
This leaves the ferries. Our Queens of Surrey and Coquitlam have some 10 years left in their lifespan, ample time to design single-deck ships, similar to the Salish class, with capacities of 200 vehicles and 800 passengers, with a much smaller crew than the 29 of the present C-class vessels.
The Salish class cost for three vessels is estimated at $200 million. Allowing for larger capacities, say $150 million per ship (in 2025 dollars) for a lifespan of 40 years, it appears a more economical solution.
Jakob Knaus, Sechelt
