Editor:
Having recently spoken at some length with our MLA, Nicholas Simons, about our sad excuse for a highway, I was very interested to read his comments in Connie Jordison’s article last week. He appears to side with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) in that the best we can expect is “piecemeal improvements” to the current road corridor over some lengthy but unstated number of years. This is simply throwing good money after bad.
For MOTI to state that the capacity of the two-lane Highway 101 is sufficient to accommodate expected traffic volume for years to come beggars belief!!
It is already inadequate and unsafe and, as such, I agree with the Sunshine Coast Highway Society that the only viable solution is a new highway.
Since MLA Simons appears unwilling to go to bat on our behalf with his fellow cabinet ministers, why are not our local elected officials stepping up.
After my discussion with MLA Simons, I was in email contact with an SCRD director with the hope of a productive discussion on the topic of the highway.
Sadly it is not to be. The reply I received was defeatist in nature and apparently accepting that whatever the MOTI decides is good for us is adequate.
I really do find it hard to understand why our local elected officials aren’t up in arms on our behalf. We deserve better in many areas including a highway that is safe and will serve our needs well into the future.
One final thought – why is it so easy to find $800+ million for a new BC Museum that isn’t needed but so difficult to provide funds for a new adequate safe highway that is?
Is it a case of “out of sight, out of mind?”
Buzz Bennett
Gibsons
