Recently coming off a 6,000-kilometre, eight-day road trip from Puerto Vallarta to Prince George, I realized that the so-called Cariboo Connecter was not only a pie in the sky but also embarrassing.
Almost our entire trip was on four lane divided highways which made our northern B.C. highways look like an underdeveloped province. Mexico and the U.S. have beautiful four lane divided highways that put ours to shame. As we drove I began to wonder, how many accidents have occurred on the two-lane highway portions of Highway 97 North? How many fatalities have there been over the years? The two-lane highway is very dangerous especially in winter conditions. Although I haven't pursued this info from ICBC, I would guess there have been a lot fewer accidents on any part of the four-lane divided portion of Highway 97 North?
We deserve that kind of highway, from the existing four lanes at Hope, all the way to at least Fort St. John.
While we're at it, we also need four lanes west to Prince Rupert. We've been promised the so-called Cariboo Connecter for much too long and it's always the same, a little piecemeal here, a little there.
It's time the government in power realizes where the provincial money comes from. It comes from the power, gas, oil, farming, forestry and mining. It's time we got what we have deserved for decades. Pressure these aspiring candidates into concrete promises to fast track our much-needed four lane northern highways.
If our provincial government can't afford such an undertaking then they should ask the federal government for assistance using some of the infrastructure money they are stimulating the economy with. If we still can't afford to fast track the building of these four-lane divided highways, then put tolls on them until they are paid.
Just think if the north separated from southern B.C. to create our own province or possibly joining up with the Yukon.
We would be a very wealthy province created from the revenues of our vast resources. Then we could build our Cariboo Connector much faster and better than presently promised. Hopefully someday the government's foresight may see beyond Vancouver and the Lower Mainland but also make the rest of the province a more attractive and safe place to drive.
Let's make the Cariboo Connector a reality. Let's see a truthful honest commitment from our government in power.
Don Ferrey,
Prince George
