Editor:
I’m surprised that the only letters I have seen have been in support of a new highway from Langdale up to Sechelt, bypassing the present highway, and occupying land some distance inland. Although it is always nice to have new things and bigger, straighter highways for real estate developers and those who like to move ever more quickly, it seems to me that the present highway works very well for preserving the quality of life that most residents of the Sunshine Coast value. What next? A superhighway to Earls Cove and a bridge to Powell River, so that area can be “developed” as a suburb of Vancouver?
The suggestions that are being made for an “improved” highway will bypass picturesque areas such as beautiful Davis Bay, and damage thousands of acres of inland property so that those who want to drive at speeds over 80 km/h will be able to do so unimpeded, but for what purpose? So that they can get to Madeira Park or Pender Harbour faster? If Coasters had wanted such an amenity, they probably would have moved somewhere else.
As for the argument that ambulances could get around more quickly on an “improved” roadway, nonsense. Coast drivers are respectful of ambulance needs, and move out of the way for them when needed. If rapid access to a hospital is what is wanted, perhaps it would be more to the point to spend the money that a new highway would cost to build another couple of hospitals in Gibsons and Pender Harbour. That way, the quality of life of the Coast would be not only preserved, but enhanced.
Don Halward, Sechelt
