Editor:
Re: Truck park adversaries hold talks, Jan.22.
I’m glad to see our MLA Gordon Hogg (Surrey-White Rock) finally step into the discussion on the controversy created by GG Metro Holdings Ltd., which has proposed to change agricultural land into a commercial truck-parking facility and in land area the company itself recognizes as environmentally sensitive.
I hope Hogg will be able to explain to us that the $6-million investment the Christy Clark government promised in its newly minted 10-Year Transportation Plan to conserve habitat and improve fish and wildlife protection will not be handed over to private companies who believe – in the words of public-relations consultant Patrick Giesbrecht –“concrete and dirt berms around the (truck) park” provide the answer to ecological care of aquifer and groundwater dynamics.
I hope Hogg will be able to respond to the comprehensive issues relevant beyond just a local concern of truckers parking illegally in Surrey.
We’re not only talking about the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat, we’re also talking about the protection of agricultural land, the rising cost of imported foods against created incentives and opportunities for locally grown produce, as well as the resolution of a long-term boil-water advisory for the First Nation whose drinking water source lies deep within the aquifers of the watershed of the Little Campbell River.
We’re talking about the critical infrastructure needs of commercial truckers to move goods at intra-provincial, inter-provincial, national and international levels.
We’re talking about the business needs of truckers who are more interested to effectively move their trucks than to park them in distant locations from their homes simply to avoid parking tickets.
I look forward to what Hogg and the provincial government have to contribute to this discussion.
David Klassen, Surrey
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There are two very obvious contradictory statements in this article:
“Patrick Giesbrecht… told PAN the lack of firm plans was by design, as the group is striving ‘to engage the stakeholders at this early stage.’”
And, “Giesbrecht was adamant those issues would be addressed… ‘Every legitimate concern that has come forward, our team of technical staff has told us we will be able to address them all satisfactorily.’”
If there are no firm design plans, why is the developer so adamant environmental concerns can be addressed? And if conceptual plans for the development have been made where technical staff have addressed potential concerns, this should be shared with all stakeholders.
It also perplexes me that Giesbrecht states GG Metro wants to engage stakeholders – when they have not replied to emails and instead had Surrey Coun. Tom Gill defend their project via the media.
To date I have not seen any evidence that this project will address local trucking issues on ALR land.
This truck parking is for cross-border truck traffic. There is no small-scale truck driver that can afford to park at this proposed new truck-parking facility, and if GG Metro thinks otherwise then please show us the business case for this, especially if there is not yet any conceptual plan of the facility.
Sofi Hindmarch, Langley