The B.C. Gateway Program may well be the most harmful transportation infrastructure project in the history of BC if not all of Canada.
The estimate 10 billion dollar proposal includes new and expanded port infrastructure, highways, bridges, rail yards, and container terminals to facilitate importing more goods from China and elsewhere in the Asia Pacific and exporting more of B.C.'s non-renewable resources. Meanwhile demand for international shipping is declining due to the problems in the global economy.
Gateway would drastically increase our contribution to global warming and would negatively impact endangered species including the magnificent Orca whales and the habitat needed for thousands of migratory birds. Gateway would generate suburban sprawl and impact over 1,000 acres of farmland.
The Gateway Project was designed by the Gateway Council, a lobby group made up of Industry representatives.
This project in effect is a de-railing of the Livable Region Strategic Plan which was the result of extensive public consultation and meaningful dialogue after a similar highway expansion was canceled due to public opposition nearly 40 years ago.
The B.C. Gateway Program may well be the most harmful transportation infrastructure project in the history of BC if not all of Canada.
The estimate 10 billion dollar proposal includes new and expanded port infrastructure, highways, bridges, rail yards, and container terminals to facilitate importing more goods from China and elsewhere in the Asia Pacific and exporting more of B.C.'s non-renewable resources. Meanwhile demand for international shipping is declining due to the problems in the global economy.
Gateway would drastically increase our contribution to global warming and would negatively impact endangered species including the magnificent Orca whales and the habitat needed for thousands of migratory birds. Gateway would generate suburban sprawl and impact over 1,000 acres of farmland.
The Gateway Project was designed by the Gateway Council, a lobby group made up of Industry representatives.
This project in effect is a de-railing of the Livable Region Strategic Plan which was the result of extensive public consultation and meaningful dialogue after a similar highway expansion was canceled due to public opposition nearly 40 years ago.
Whereas the Gateway Project proposes the construction of two new highways, the North Perimeter Road and South Perimeter Road on either side of the Fraser River, the expansion of the No. 1 Freeway between Vancouver and Langley, the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge and the expansion of Deltaport at the mouth of the Fraser River;
Whereas the new roads, bridges and expanded freeway, if constructed, will result in more cars and commercial trucks using the roadways which will dramatically increase traffic congestion, pollution, and vehicle accidents throughout the Greater Vancouver Region;
Whereas the new roads, bridges and expanded freeway, if constructed, will result in drastically increased suburban sprawl in the Fraser Valley resulting in loss of farmland and wildlife habitat;
Whereas the construction, dredging, and fill at Deltaport at the mouth of the Fraser River, the most prolific salmon river in the world, will have devastating results to the habitat for fish, birds and whales;
Whereas the Gateway Project is forecast to cost BC taxpayers $3 billion (not including federal funding as part of estimated overall costs of $10 billion) or more; and
Whereas many people would prefer to see new port infrastructure located away from the mouth of the Fraser River, and transit (such as more buses and light rail) used to transport people in line with the Livable Region Strategic Plan, instead of an expanded freeway and road network;
Your petitioners respectfully request that the Honourable House abandon the Gateway Project, and instead allow the people of the Greater Vancouver Region to choose a plan to move people and goods throughout the Lower Mainland in an environmentally responsible manner.
We signed the "Halt the Gateway Project" petition!
# 235:
10:57 pm PDT, Oct 31,Angel Bai, California
# 234:
6:53 pm PDT, Oct 27,Kathleen Beaton, Canada
The whole project is extremely taxing on the environment and very short sighted in its planning. It will destroy the community of Delta, impinge on Burns Bog, and negatively impact the air, soil and wildlife of the lower mainland.
# 233:
1:39 pm PDT, Oct 27,Name not displayed, Canada
I strongly oppose the Enbridge Gateway pipeline. Facilitating the expansion of the Tar Sands is morally corrupt. Make room in your hearts for the children that are suffering and will suffer from climate change, its not fair.
# 232:
7:12 pm PDT, Oct 26,Scott J Andrews, Canada
Increased highway infrastructure is no sustainable. We need localization not more carbon emitting transportation to be the incentive created by our government.
This project has a low profile, which is extremely unjust to the taxpayer who will be forced to shell out $7 billion.
Please Gordon Campbell, put a stop to this. This province isn't just ours, it belongs to our children.
Regards,
Scott Andrews
# 231:
12:18 pm PDT, Oct 26,Ruhi Patel, Canada
# 230:
10:38 am PDT, Oct 26,Brendan Guy, Canada
# 229:
10:15 am PDT, Oct 26,Rebecca Beaton, Canada
A project that is going to increase CO2 emissions, increase air pollution, pave over farmland, encourage more cars to be driven and suburbs to be expanded, expand the port and negatively impact marine life there, and encourage increased consumption from China while expoting our dirty coal to be burned in China... not acceptable! This project is not sustainable in any regard, and will create many new problems that will then need to be addressed. Not to mention a $7 billion cost to taxpayers, who are for the most part uninformed about the negative impacts of this project, due to its low profile. There are more cost effective and environmentally sound options available that will be sustaian far into the future, and I'd like to ask that you please consider these.
# 228:
5:46 am PDT, Oct 25,Julie Linder, Florida
# 227:
11:07 pm PDT, Oct 18,Rita Wong, Canada
# 226:
11:21 am PDT, Oct 3,Name not displayed, United Kingdom
# 225:
1:10 pm PDT, Sep 18,Bill Bothers, Canada
Build it!!!! Notice that my addres is in Vancouver! Not from somewhere foriegn. The big difference is Vancouver's road infrastructure was built for a population of 800,000 in 1964, now we have a poplulation of 3.1 million. That means we would have to get 75% off all traffic out of vehicles and in to transit to get the road traffic back down to the capicity they were built for - like thats a real solution. 13 hours of Grid Lock with cars sitting and spewing exhaust waiting to get on the Port Mann Bridge is not a solution thats good for the environment. The new bridge has Bus lanes and special bus on and off ramps. So it will only take 25 minutes to get downtown from Langley by bus - faster than a car. So the new project will help reduce car traffic, espicially when cars have to stop and pay a toll and busses dont.
By the way, just so everyone knows and is totally clear, Vancouver didnt build the typical freeway system in the '60s, instead we opted for Transit with a small 2 lane freeway to connect to the rest of Canada, so we are not like the 1950s freeway model in any sense.
Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, Build it, NOW!!!
# 224:
9:00 pm PDT, Jul 11,Name not displayed, Illinois
# 223:
5:55 am PDT, Jun 25,Charles LeDuc Diaz, Canada
Give up on the 1950 development model that is shortening our lives and putting our civilization at risk. The stated objectives of the project (port access) can be easily achieved through other means. The unstated objectives of the project (sprawl, increased automobile capacity) are dangerous and wrong-headed.
# 222:
3:38 am PDT, Jun 25,Katrina Sauve, Canada
# 221:
5:24 am PDT, Jun 13,Frida Simms, Virginia
# 220:
7:39 am PDT, Jun 10,Diana Senich, France
Together, let's build a more livable, ecologically sustainable BC and influence others abroad and in our country, by steering away from large impact growth or sprawl, as well as the destruction of our ecosystems and resources. Together lets use our intelligence and imagination to become stewards with the newest technology and skill efforts to build more efficient transportation, community oriented city dwellers, and a as a whole let's become conscious and connected in our way of life.
# 219:
2:22 pm PDT, Jun 8,Cates Bayabay, Canada
We, humans, have the responsibility to protect our co-habitants. Kindly think carefully of the consequences of such infrastructure to our ecosystem. All living things are interconnected in an elaborate web of life. What we do to them will be done to us as well.
# 218:
2:03 pm PDT, May 11,Jean Sansum, Canada
Remember the overruns on the convention centre for the Olympics? How much are taxpayers actually looking at in building this unneeded infrastructure at a time when oil is peaking and the climate in changing? Let's get our priorities straight!
# 217:
3:32 pm PDT, May 5,Robbie Jeffrey, Canada
# 216:
8:49 pm PDT, May 2,Mary Etey, Canada
Its time to build walking communities for healthy people. There are too many cars already. Lets invest in rail, bicycle paths, street cars, sail boats, anything but fossil fuel dependant modes of transportation. People need quality of life, not more stuff. Not more polution.
# 215:
4:17 pm PDT, Apr 20,Christopher Stephens, Canada
To whome it may Concern:
I am in strong opposition of increasing export of B.C's resources, and increasing import of goods with the Gateway Project. We are selling our province, decimating the environment, putting wildlife at risk, all for economic gain, supposedly, but at what cost? In addition, there are many further issues not being adressed, such as homelessnes, crime, and the many children waiting in foster care even though there are homes available for them, all because of innadequite funding for social services. This is because money is being spent on extras like this Gateway and the Olympics, while neglecting what really counts, like adressing environmental protection and humanitarian issues.
I have had enough of this kind of indiscretion.
Sincerly, Christopher Stephens
# 214:
3:42 pm PDT, Apr 18,Name not displayed, Canada
# 213:
10:44 am PDT, Apr 4,Sarah Baker, Illinois
# 212:
2:52 pm PDT, Apr 1,David N Moore, Connecticut
# 211:
6:40 pm PDT, Mar 30,Name not displayed, Canada
I think the gateway project will impact my neighbourhood in a profoundly negative way and is inexcusable as we recognise the horendous effects on our planet of over use of cars. We know that building highways increases car use. Why not invest in sustainable, cheap, efficient public transportation?
# 210:
6:13 pm PDT, Mar 30,Name not displayed, Canada
# 209:
4:22 pm PDT, Mar 30,Name not displayed, Canada
I definately would like to see this money go to a better cause like inproving the transit system we have to reduce green house gas emissions that the vehicles on the road are producing.
# 208:
2:14 pm PDT, Mar 30,Name not displayed, Canada
# 207:
3:58 pm PDT, Mar 29,Adam Saab, Canada
The Green Party is the only party against the Gateway Project.
# 206:
11:42 am PDT, Mar 29,Zane Barratt, Canada
We can not accept dirty oil from anywhere. It's time for a sustainable retreat.
# 205:
4:13 am PDT, Mar 29,Familie Rens,Hanke, Germany
# 204:
9:59 pm PDT, Mar 28,Moreno Zanotto, Canada
# 203:
3:02 pm PDT, Mar 28,Mervi Rantala, Finland
# 202:
8:25 am PDT, Mar 27,Marlize Albers, United Arab Emirates
# 201:
10:30 pm PDT, Mar 26,Meghan Carrico, Canada
I feel very strongly that the gateway project not go through. I am in favour of more public transit paid for by all of us, carpooling incentives, and light rail systems. The true cost of more hwy's is not accounted for when we don't charge for the extra cost to our environment from more cars.
