The Editor,
Re: "No sympathy for those who bought homes near tracks," the Now letters, March 5. Anthony Rose expressed his lack of sympathy for residents of Crescent Beach and White Rock to whatever disaster might befall them as a result of a derailment disaster in their vicinity.
By analogy, one would assume that Rose had a similar lack of empathy towards the residents of Lac-Mégantic at their misfortune.
Perhaps Rose never seeks to enjoy a family day out at the beach.
However, do the taxpayers living south of the Fraser not deserve safe access to ocean beaches just like they do in Vancouver? Where is their Stanley Park equivalent? Along with the ever increasing densification must come equally available green space. Why not along the shores of White Rock, Surrey and Boundary Bay?
Does it really need to be said that whatever misfortune might fall upon Crescent Beach or White Rock due to a train mishap will affect anyone who happens to be in the vicinity at the time?
As we just saw recently at the Port of Vancouver, poisonous smoke from a container fire or a chlorine cloud from a ruptured tank car does not discriminate among residents, visitors or passers-by.
Keith Knightson
White Rock