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The latest rail argument is not a likely choice

The train people are out there again with their familiar solution to every transport problem. A fire high above a critical section of Highway 4 between Port Alberni and points east calls for resurrecting our moribund railway tracks.

But fires can disrupt steel rails as well as highways. Don’t the rail advocates recall the fires in the Okanagan that destroyed 18 trestles on the historic Kettle Valley Railway in the mid-2000s?

Known as ‘McCulloch’s Wonder’ (or Folly, depending on who is doing the telling), the KVR’s original construction costs plus those to rebuild the trestles probably make it the most expensive bike trail ever.

The tracks on Vancouver Island have been permanently abandoned, not just by the railways but by their customers — the shippers and the passengers. Only massive public subsidies will make rail service return.

As for rail as an emergency alternative to Highway 4, governments are unlikely to opt for such expensive insurance relative to other cheaper options.

Chris Lawless

Victoria

A great open house, thanks to Ian Maxwell

Thanks to Ralmax for putting on a great open house in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Point Hope Shipyard.

My husband and I enjoyed the live music, the model boat pond, the harbour ferry and truck displays, the vendors and free T-shirts!

Reading between the lines of the article in Sunday’s sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, Ian Maxwell has been fighting a non-stop battle to keep the shipyard viable despite the best efforts of the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ government to dramatically increase its tax burden.

The shipyard’s tax assessment rose by more than $8 million in one year.

What Victoria Harbour, and indeed the entire province needs, is a lot more Ian Maxwell and a lot less government.

Janice Marr

Victoria

What about the loss of parking meter revenue?

Re: “Cyclists pay their way, motorists are subsidized,” letter, June 20.

The writer makes — or tries to make — some interesting points, but as happens, selected facts can be used to bolster both sides of many arguments.

For instance, Victoria’s 2017 city budget pegs the average annual revenue per parking meter at $4,400. Those meters that were removed near the Royal sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Museum (and elsewhere) in favour of bike lanes generated tens of thousands per year. That money has to be replaced somehow.

And while it’s true that a growing number of upper “middle class” adults are becoming cycle commuters, a significant portion of cycling commuters are not in the “higher socio-income” bracket. Many cycle out of necessity.

They work at part time or minimum wage jobs, live either at home or in older rental units — often in shared accommodation — and at the end of the year are hard-pressed to make even their basic tax bill.

The only taxes they pay are the varied and somewhat contentious “sales” taxes placed by all levels of government on the necessities of life.

No fuel taxes, no licence fees, no parking meters. They do get “free parking” at taxpayers’ expense, thanks to the same council that is happy to remove parking revenue from the coffers by removing meters.

K.M. Frye

Saanich

There is a limit to what the Island can hold

Re: “Vancouver Island has plenty of room for more people,” commentary, June 19.

While there might be enough room for more people on Vancouver Island, the question arises: Will it be sustainable?

Look at natural resources like drinking water, agricultural land that may or may not fall victim to development.

Several regions on the Island have had problems with drinking water over the past few years. At one point, a stretch of land can hold and sustain only a certain amount of people without running into trouble. This doesn’t even take into account the infrastructure that must be built to move those people around.

Stefan Nowak

East Sooke

Our infrastructure is already stretched

Re: “Vancouver Island has plenty of room for more people,” commentary, June 19.

The highway between Victoria and Nanaimo is so congested. One tries to arrange around the heavy traffic, only to find that everyone else is doing the same or there has been an incident that has crippled the entire flow of traffic.

Let’s not forget that there is only one main highway connecting the Island. Most people who have a time-sensitive need to be in Victoria will often go down the day before, because one never knows when the highway south will be closed due to an accident.

This is ridiculous for a trip that should only take an hour from the Cowichan Valley. Also, think of the hardships that people and businesses have suffered because of the recent fires.

One road in and out held people hostage, where they had to resort to other means if there was an urgent need.

In the Cowichan Valley, we are put on water restrictions very early in the spring, because the rivers are so low and conservation of water is essential.

We do not have the infrastructure nor do we have adequate water for growth on the Island.

With the traffic snarling and the constant water shortage, where are the new people supposed to live?

Janice Patzwald

Duncan

Population numbers were not correct

Re: “Vancouver Island has plenty of room for more people,” commentary, June 19.

The writer needs to get his facts straight. Victoria’s 2022 population density is estimated at 4,951 per square kilometre, and the entire Capital Regional District, including Salt Spring, the southern Gulf Islands, and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, has a density of 177.7 per square kilometre.

The density for the Greater Victoria metropolitan area is 607.8 per square kilometre.

Toto, I don’t think we’re in Borneo.

It seems those newcomers aren’t all that keen to live in the wilds of Tahsis or Quatsino, and the use of the population density for the entire Island and its vast uninhabited mountain regions is misleading, depriving the arguments of credibility.

Frederick Shand

Victoria

So many shortages limit our growth

Re: “Vancouver Island has plenty of room for more people,” commentary, June 19.

I, too, am a Vancouver Island resident, born and raised. In the 65 turns I’ve been blessed to inhabit this jewel on Earth, the changes have been at times shocking, welcome, needed or truly a cause for dismay. Just because we have room to expand shouldn’t be a criterion to open our forests, wild habitats and ocean to more people. We don’t have the infrastructure to support more people.

There is a shortage of hospitals, schools, emergency services, roads, energy, the list could go on and on. I don’t have a family doctor.

Three years ago, before the influx of people, I suffered a serious accident and waited two hours for an ambulance and two days for surgery. Who is going to supply and pay for the needs and services for the citizens who call this jewel home?

I can tell you that if we have a major earthquake or some other catastrophe, we on this Island will be in serious trouble.

Without ferries and shipping, the Island would be likely out of food in about three days, providing there is no mass hoarding. The pandemic wasn’t the type of major event I’m postulating and we all saw how that went.

I am not blaming the people who are coming here. I’m not blaming anyone. If you throw enough money at a problem just about anything can be fixed. Where is the money going to come from?

Since the pandemic, the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened. People can’t afford more taxes.

We all just want a place to live, medical care if we need it, food to eat and a place to get an education, and maybe some recreation if there are any leftovers.

We should all be thinking about our Earth, too, its resources and how we use them. We do need thoughtful consideration on how to move forward into a future that is good for everyone, our glorious wonderful Earth included.

C.J. Lebel

Sidney

Don’t waste money on Centennial Square

The beautification of Victoria’s Centennial Square is unnecessary. The city should not spend money on beautification. We should deal with the root problem, which is poverty.

As Jackie DeShannon once sang, we don’t need another mountain. We sure don’t need another high-rise or stripes painted on the sidewalk. We need financial and emotional support for all of those people living in dire straits.

Making Centennial Square pretty and adding a few more benches is not going to solve the issue — and no one cares.

Valerie Bellefleur

Victoria

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