Time is running out for North Shore residents who want to see action taken on the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant. The provincial election is approaching quickly on October 19th, and residents have yet to see any further commitments from the province in terms of funding, leaving them on the hook for $590 in bills for the next three decades.
Importantly, this thirty-year burden is just an estimate. The charge doesn’t include the costs of decommissioning the old site or the soil remediation that will undoubtedly be required, nor does it include the costs likely associated with other projects’ cost overruns that Metro has underway. On top of this, Metro Vancouver has announced that it expects its portion of residents’ taxes to jump by 10% next year.
The North Shore Neighborhoods Alliance (NSNA), a coalition of eight community associations from across the North Shore, has contacted candidates from the two leading parties, asking them to take a stance on the matter. “It’s simple, really,” said spokesperson Daniel Anderson, “we are asking those who aspire to represent the North Shore to do exactly that: represent us.”
The coalition has two major objectives: to see a public, independent inquiry into Metro Vancouver’s operations by enacting Section 764 of the Local Government Act and to see further financial commitments from provincial and federal partners. To date, neither of the coalitions’ two concerns have been addressed. The prospective provincial parties have failed to commit more funds to the project, leaving North Shore residents concerned.
North Shore residents deserve a voice and political representatives who are willing to go to bat for them. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of silence and a lack of political will. The North Shore is not alone in its calls for more transparency.
This last month, five municipalities submitted a motion asking their mayors to petition the Premier to enact Section 764 of the Local Government Act and start an independent public inquiry into the matter. The move has made it clear that Metro’s operations are a regional concern and likely an election issue that could make or break campaigns throughout the area. North Shore constituents will soon know where their local candidates stand on the issue.
The NSNA has set a response deadline of October 7th for candidates on the North Shore and intends to make their positions, or lack thereof, public shortly afterwards.
Daniel Anderson is the spokesperson for the North Shore Neighborhoods Alliance (NSNA).
Kudos to Mr. Anderson. The candidates response to the pressing issue of funding the wastewater treatment plant debacle will certainly influence my vote. (I am also interested to know where the other parties stand on the NDP’s Bill 44 mandating increased housing density on single family lots).
The whole thing has been bungled from the get go, even the location is wrong.
I say that because where the current Waste Water Treatment construction site is used to be both a train station and hwy. bus depot. The C.N. train tracks are there and are not moving. The West Van Blue Bus Depot is one half block north. A logical location for a North Shore Coast Mountain Bus Depot would be somewhere adjacent to the Blue Bus Garage area. With some land assembly there could even be waterfront access for a pier. Even a heliport could be planned in. A new train station to service Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and beyond would just make sense, transit for all at this ‘Natural Transportation Hub’.
But no, the planners involved have failed oh-so miserably, no forward thought, just build the waste water facility, leaving true long range community planning out of the picture.
For my money, proceed no further with the current site and all of it’s construction flaws. Full stop, bull-doze and re-purpose taking advantage of what it could be. Build a re-designed (a re-design may even save money), Waste Water plant two blocks west, where it likely (I believe), always should have been!