Between now and the BC provincial election on May 9, Powell River Peak is asking each of the three candidates in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding a question every week that addresses a particular topic that matters in this riding. This issue, candidates tackle the tough issue of transportation.
What would you do to improve transportation to and from Powell River?
Mathew Wilson, BC Liberal Party
We need effective, affordable and reliable transportation to keep Powell River connected. In the past few years, our riding has fallen behind, especially in ferry services and highway improvements.
I will be a strong advocate to ensure your tax dollars come into our riding for road maintenance, improved service and bike transportation corridors. I will ensure ferry schedules are responsive to public need, so schedules support residents of Powell River and Texada Island, and visitors from the rest of the province who travel to our beautiful region.
As a ferry-dependent community, transportation to and from Powell River impacts our economy, health care, tourism and education, almost every aspect of our lives.
Our government is making investments to improve transportation. A good example is the new ferry, Salish Orca, for the Comox-Powell River route, to replace the old Queen of Burnaby, which was prone to breakdowns. Powered by LNG, the new ferry is also better for the environment and more cost-effective than diesel.
We need a vision that allows for increased transportation infrastructure, while protecting the integrity of our communities. I will work with Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, municipalities and first nations to complete the bypass on the Sunshine Coast. This will allow traffic to move more efficiently along the peninsula to Langdale while protecting the type of communities we want for our families.
On May 9, if you elect me as your MLA, I will work with you to address the transportation issues in our riding.
Raised on the Sunshine Coast, with family in Powell River, Mathew Wilson currently lives in Roberts Creek and is father to two daughters. He works for the federal government; 10 years in Ottawa, most recently five years commuting to work in Vancouver. Among his many experiences are five years negotiating agreements with first nations on resource economic development and residential school claims.
Nicholas Simons, BC New Democratic Party
Powell River’s economy and culture are clearly reliant on BC Ferries, a transportation system that, despite coming up with two new vessels, our current government has diminished and hollowed out over the past 16 years, like it has with so many other public services. It has also treated BC Ferries as a cash cow.
Since 2003, the government has taken almost $500 million out of the ferry system in dividends and loan costs, according to the BC Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, fares have skyrocketed and service levels have plummeted.
New Democrats, with leader John Horgan, will put a halt to this trend and work to make this right to build a better BC.
The fixed-link options being studied all involve considerable capital investments. It would be best to ask local residents if that is how they want their money spent, or if improvements in ferry service, such as adjusting the Earls Cove-Saltery Bay schedule, or hourly sailings between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay, would better address our concerns. The third crossing option is more about creating a new east-west transportation route than it is about replacing ferry services.
Public policy should ensure that privately operated bus services to and from Vancouver can be viable, so that residents and visitors can plan their travels with confidence.
Continued improvements to our airports and harbours will entice visitors to our community, and once they visit they will want to come back, or stay.
Nicholas Simons was first elected MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast in 2005. Before entering politics, Simons spent more than 15 years working in health, justice, social services and child welfare, including 10 years as director of health and social services for Sechelt (shíshálh) First Nation. Simons, an accomplished cellist, is also a past president of the Sunshine Coast Arts Council.
Kim Darwin, BC Green Party
As a coastal community, our ferry travel is key to our transportation system. I conducted a survey from one end of the Sunshine Coast to the other last December and concerns with fares and schedules was a constant topic of conversation.
As someone who has lived in a ferry-dependent community my entire life, I am very conscious of the challenges it causes to our daily lives.
In February, I met with Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, to encourage active engagement in provincial/federal dialogue regarding increasing federal funding for local transportation needs, particularly in those areas with unique transportation challenges.
As well, there are a number of upcoming technologies that will forever change transportation as we know it. Industry experts predict that by the year 2020, electric vehicles will be cheaper than combustion engine vehicles and self-driving vehicles will be more common. Auto manufacturers such as General Motors and Ford have invested billions to bring these transportation technologies to market. Imagine hailing a cab without a driver.
In an effort to lead BC’s transportation into the 21st century, BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver tabled a Rideshare Enabling Act twice in the BC Legislature. Ride sharing leads to fewer cars on the road, less fossil-fuel use, and a smaller carbon footprint.
Transportation affects our community every day. It can disrupt time spent with your family, cause increased stress and anxiety and, when effective, increase our enjoyment of our life here on the west coast.
In addition to raising three wonderful children, Kim Darwin was a legal assistant for 16 years before opening her own mortgage broker business. She is president of the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce and was the elected provincial council secretary for the BC Green Party for two and a half years. She is an herbalist, having studied traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal medicine.
