Now they just have to find a funding partner.
Mayor Lois Jackson at council this week said she was extremely encouraged by the response her Delta delegation received from federal officials during their recent trip to Ottawa to discuss several issues, including the need for a new crossing to replace the aging George Massey Tunnel.
The delegation stressed the crossing is of national economic importance as part of the Asia Pacific trade corridor, said Jackson, noting they were informed national trade corridor funding could possibly be made available.
“All we have to do is find a funding partner and it doesn’t have to be the provincial government who let us down badly,” said Jackson. “Maybe that’s our next project, looking to find a funding partner. It could be anybody…it could be a pension fund, it could be an investment company, who knows. Maybe it’s going to be a company who’s even going to build it, I don’t know. But that came through and I was absolutely delighted to hear that we have another option to help people from our community and the other communities,” she added.
The delegation of Jackson, Delta senior staffer Ken Kuntz and police chief Neil Dubord met with a senior policy advisor for Transportation Minister Marc Garneau. Also part the Delta group was Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams. Bernadette Kudzin, constituency manager for Delta MP Carla Qualtrough, also took part.
The Delta delegation noted the replacement of the George Massey Tunnel received all environmental certificates and would have been under the original budget
They discussed several issues including Delta being home to the largest sea port in Western Canada and that the crossing is identified as a lifeline for south of the Fraser. Williams reiterated the importance of goods movement and shared his concerns about safety issues regarding the tunnel, particularly seismic.
A report to council on the trip notes Qualtrough had spoken with Garneau and it was confirmed the project is eligible for funding with partners.
At another meeting with MP Marc Miller, parliamentary secretary to MP Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, it was noted the B.C. government had identified the project as needing funding under the previous New Building Canada Fund, but the province subsequently removed it. The project, in fact, belongs in the Pacific Gateway file under Transport Canada’s portfolio.
The delegation also explained the current crossing configuration makes emergency response challenging
It was recommended to the Delta delegation that the city and TFN reach out to regional MPs “who are good champions” and that “it is important to have dialogue.”
The $3.5 billion George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, a new 10-lane bridge with other new roadworks, was suspended by the new Green-backed NDP government last year pending an independent technical review. That report’s findings will be reviewed by the provincial transportation ministry over this summer.
