New route from Vancouver to Sunshine Coast could be on the way
Posted September 18, 2015 4:50 pm.
Last Updated January 28, 2016 11:18 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SECHELT (NEWS 1130) – We could one day be driving from Vancouver up the Sunshine Coast to Powell River if a study launched by the province finds the idea to be feasible.
But people living there are pretty divided over the idea.
The BC government will study if it makes sense to replace the ferry routes connecting the Sunshine Coast to Metro Vancouver with roads and bridges.
BC’s Transportation Minister Todd Stone says all options are being explored. “Those potential options could range from a highway link around Jervis Inlet from Squamish or direct bridge connections along the coast.”
He expects to have a firm onboard to start the work this fall. The study will also look at whether anyone even wants a way to drive to the Sunshine Coast.
Former Sechelt mayor Bruce Milne says there is appetite for it. “There’s a lot of people in the community who have been asking for this study. A lot of people want to know what the options are. And that comes out of a real anger and frustration with BC Ferries over the last few years, especially the last three to four years.”
He says some would look forward to see the value of their homes skyrocket to Metro Vancouver levels, but others came to the Sunshine Coast specifically to get away from the city.
Gibsons’ Mayor Barry Janyk says it’s too late to avoid becoming a bedroom community for Metro Vancouver. “The Sunshine Coast’s largest employer is the Lower Mainland. More people commute to work than probably work on the entire Sunshine Coast. They don’t work Monday to Friday, they sometimes work two days a week, three days a week, four days a week… But putting a land link to the tune of three to four billion dollars has to be rationalized against the population of under 30,000.”
He figures the province is floating the idea as a way to alleviate the population crunch in Metro Vancouver.
