Magda Konieczna

W. Van committed to Sea-to-Sky link fight

appeared in North Shore News January 14, 2005 (see the original)

West Vancouver Mayor Ron Wood assured council support for a group opposing the expansion of the Sea to Sky Highway through Eagleridge Bluffs as the district's court date against the federal government approaches.

His comments were in response to a presentation by a representative of the Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs at Monday's council meeting.

The coalition asked West Vancouver council for support in organizing a meeting between the province and Greater Vancouver Regional District in the hope that a deal could be reached.

"We want to very much reinforce that this municipality has been behind you from Day 1. We still are," Wood said. "We're just as frustrated as you are in terms of the response of (provincial) government."

On July 16, 2004, the province announced it would build a four-lane, overland link between West Vancouver and the Sea to Sky Highway, instead of a tunnel. At that time, council expressed concerns about the federal government's environmental screening, the estimated cost of the overland route versus the tunnel, and the esthetics of building an overland route.

The district filed a lawsuit in an attempt to have the plan for the overland route overturned. Wood said the lawsuit would come before the courts in late February.

On Monday, coalition president Dennis Perry told council the coalition has a new website and is planning rallies and protests to further publicize the issue.

Perry said the coalition intends to take its awareness campaign into the ridings of Premier Gordon Campbell and Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon in the run-up to the election this spring. Perry also mentioned the possibility of running an MLA candidate solely on the platform of supporting the tunnel versus the overland route.

About 20 people came to the meeting to hear the presentation. Councillors were sympathetic.

Coun. Bill Soprovich said that, given the province intends to break its promise that the Olympic games would be sustainable, the coalition should look for international support.

"Get the world to look at super, natural British Columbia," Soprovich said. "How much truth is there to them sustaining the environment?"