The Editor,
All our communities are interconnected, and what is good for White Rock also benefits all those living south of the Fraser. Why are people ridiculed and belittled for doing what they believe will enhance the overall wellbeing of their community?
By starting us on the path of rail relocation, White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin, and all those lobbying for rail relocation, should be congratulated for doing what should have been done years ago. Let's stop looking at these trains through some romantic lens.
It is no longer 1970, with just a few cute, little trains a day. We are now being inundated with very long, very heavy trains carrying dangerous goods on a treacherous stretch of track. This puts many lives at risk.
Those who say "just move" or "the trains were here first" are irresponsible, since they are ignoring the current, ongoing danger that these trains pose in a seaside recreational area, for both residents and visitors alike.
Of course, a shorter, more direct train route will cost money - but as much as the $500-million BC Place Stadium roof?
A White Rock rail bypass will let freight move more efficiently and eliminate a choke points in the north/south train corridor. There are proposals to tunnel through the ridge, from the border to just north of the Nikomekl River, which would not push train traffic onto any other neighbourhood nor involve expropriating any land.
Do we have to wait until some tragic Lac-Megantic-like derailment happens before the naysayers support a sensible proposal that will enhance the attractiveness (and safety) of White Rock for all?
Hannah Newman
White Rock