Proposed canal without support from Surrey Board of Trade
Posted November 25, 2019 7:50 pm.
Last Updated November 25, 2019 8:14 pm.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) — The Surrey Board of Trade doesn’t see any benefits for implementing a canal in the city.
CEO Anita Huberman says a new canal in Bridgeview won’t help local businesses or the economy.
“There needs to be a business plan and what the implications will be or won’t be to either residents or businesses in terms of their taxes, and we’ve heard nothing of that,” she says.
On top of that, she raises doubts a canal will be built within the next five years, as there is no mention of the project in the capital budget.
“It’s very difficult to come up with a concept that has no business plan,” she explains.
Huberman adds there are many complexities of large infrastructure projects including the environmental impacts on climate change and sea levels along with impacts to existing infrastructure.
“[The Surrey Board of Trade] is actually calling for more art and culture investments to make Surrey a music city destination – an art and culture destination. We need that infrastructure as well,” she says, adding business plans exist for these ideas.
Huberman points towards building a new performing arts centre and a convention centre instead since Surrey is on track for being the largest city in the province.
