Residents of West Vancouver British Columbia (B.C.) are to take to the streets Thursday in a bid to stop the province from redirecting a four-lane “twisty” stretch of the Sea-to-Sky Highway through Eagleridge Bluffs, a popular wilderness area where they hike and walk their dogs.
The Sea-to-Sky Highway linking Vancouver with Whistler where several 2010 Olympic competitions will be held, was considered the Achilles heel of Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic bid.
The residents say if the highway project is allowed to proceed it will destroy sensitive ecosystems located above the main transportation corridor linking Vancouver to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal and Whistler ski resort.
One resident said the province’s refusal to consider putting a tunnel underneath the bluffs has galvanized a neighbourhood that is home to wealthy investment bankers and some of Canada’s most expensive real estate.
West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones said the residents feel they have no alternative because, in their view, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon did not hold a proper consultation process with affected communities.
Falcon said it is a decision he is not about to change. “The whole reason we are investing $600-million in the Sea-to-Sky Highway is actually to improve public safety”.
He said the overland highway is expected to cost about $130 million, or $40 million less than the tunnel option.
