Let's make it work!

Some people love to refer to Port Expansion and the associated infrastructure build-out as the "Master Plan" as if it has been ill-conceived and is laden with inherently evil characteristics.

I have heard people and local Government officials say that Port Expansion issues are being negotiated in secret and that there is a massive conspiracy at play.

Some have referred to the surrounding issues as "dominoes" implying that each component has been secretly developed to fit in to an overall master plan to deceive the citizens of Delta and British Columbia. Can you give us some credit please? The majority of people that live here understand our plight. Most of us have the cognitive ability to understand and interpret our environment. We do not need a constant run of zealots to remind of us of every idiosyncrasy that for most would seem as obvious as waking up in the morning.

A couple of things are clear. If you are the VPA, you can't expand your operation without first having the transportation infrastructure. That is why the South Perimeter road discussion had to evolve before approval of the Third Berth. When business is good you make arrangements to keep it going...correct?

On the TFN side of things, of course a land deal in the area of the Port would make sense. We may not like it, but at face value it seems like an appropriate business transaction given the complexities of the issue.

In the Jan 31 Delta Optimist Liz Gough takes a poke at Ted Murphy for feeling that resistance to Port expansion and other issues can seem futile. Ted has it right in the sense that people who have semi-logical minds understand that things have to happen regardless of ad nausea references to Margaret Mead quotes.

Gough again suggests that our lifestyles are being "assaulted". Mine?..not so much. I can still very easily appreciate my local environment in a short walk from my house. I am sure most others in South Delta can as well.

I bet Gough has never even been to the Port. I would venture to say that she has a vague idea of what it does but I think that she would completely disagree that it actually contributes to maintaining the" lifestyle" that we have become accustomed to and the one that she constantly refers to. Unless, of course, she only wears, buys , eats and furnishes her home with Tsawwassen or "Canadian" made items. Ya.right!

Would that be a reasonable thing for your family and my family to consider?

No...it is not.

No expansion at our Ports would see an increased trade deficit, lack of business investment, movement of goods to other Ports and a loss of employment, higher interest rates and a myriad of other problems. That is when the "for sale" signs would come up.

We are a nation of traders and always have been. Our plentiful primary resource base is what makes Canada one of the most stable and live-able countries in the world.

When did Gough move to South Delta and what infrastructure was in place then?

Did farmers and early pioneers like or hate the fact that their trade routes would be expanded?

Look...we may hate the fact that changes are happening in our community. I don't want more trucks on our roads and I don't want erosion of our wetlands and I would certainly like to catch a coho in Georgia Straight like I used to not so many years ago.

As unfortunate as it may seem, I have also "resigned" to the fact that I am ineffectual in halting the development of these social and economic building blocks. I know they will be built. My job and yours...now...is too ensure as much as possible that the build-out will be undertaken with due care and attention.

As much as I applaud APE's intent I certainly do not, for a single moment, deny the "government" for doing what is has to do to keep our Nation strong.

Local fights are impressive in intent but unfortunately lame in practice.

Liz...sign up for the Port Committee and see if you can help fine tune an unfortunate local situation in to a live-able compromise on a fundamental need of our society.

Mike Schneider