Delta will get a chance to present its case for a bridge to the new provincial government.
Mayor Lois Jackson confirmed that she and CAO George Harvie will be given an opportunity to speak with newly appointed Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena tomorrow to discuss the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, which is in doubt now that the NDP is in power.
"We do have an appointment with the transportation minster. I know the premier (John Horgan) is very hard to reach, he's very busy, but we really hoped we'd get him and Mr. (Green Party Leader Andrew) Weaver, so at least we can give our story. It just seems that nobody wants to listen but the people that are affected and the businesses who don't have a voice," Jackson told the Optimist. "We've been trying a lot of things in our attempt to educate people. It bothers me that a lot of people come on making comments on the Internet and have the wrong information. It's fine if you don't agree but at least have the right information. The information is not mine, it's the engineers'and if they want to take issue with what the engineers'reports are, that's fine, but don't make blanket statements. It's kind of frustrating," she said.
The Metro Vancouver board approved a motion last Friday asking Trevena not to go forward with the bridge project until viable options and alternatives have been examined.
Only Delta and Langley Township voted against the motion, the latest frustrating move for Jackson by regional mayors hoping to kill the $3.5-billion project.
"They say it's not in their purview and the Mayors'Council would not allow us to speak, yet today at Metro Vancouver they have a report saying they're opposed to the bridge. Because Richmond has come forward (with a twin tunnel proposal), now they're saying, 'We really do need a new crossing but we have to go back and do all the analysis for all the options.'" Jackson said it didn't take long for the self-serving politics to kick in once again.
"It was really ugly. I've never seen that kind of democracy in an organization which I took pride in chairing for six years. It's more about politics but when I was chair of the region I wouldn't allow politics in the chamber."
The six-term Delta mayor said it's looking like the other mayors will push for a new crossing to be delayed at least another 15 years, if it happens at all.
"It's really troubling to me. My staff have worked on this so long. We've asked all the questions and gotten all the answers," she said.
