Editor:
As one of the presenters at a recent meeting of Metro Vancouver’s Board, it was certainly disappointing to see that they voted to move the plan ahead for industrial warehouses rather than protecting the area by declaring it as the long-promised regional park.
Estimates for 15,000 new jobs there seems far-fetched.
During the flurry of paving and construction, yes, there will be jobs. Later, when it’s Warehouseland, those numbers will be more like something from Dreamland; already the bulk of warehouse jobs are being performed by robots, a trend that is sure to only grow.
Beyond needing to protect the Little Campbell River, along with its endangered salmon, threats to the Brookswood Aquifer (and as Mayor Walker pointed out, also the Sunnyside Aquifer) pose a horrific risk.
If Langley citizens find their wells have been compromised, will they be in a position to sue the City of Surrey for this development?
Yes, there is a need for industrial areas; this is simply the wrong place for that sort of development. Before the final decision is made, the protection of the future and the protection of the land and of fresh water must come to the forefront.
The interests of commerce are temporary; clean water is forever.
Heidi Greco, Surrey