Stephen Rees's blog

Vancouver Sun

Harold Steves suggestion some time ago was that “the fix was in”. And he was right. The ALC is no more use at protecting farmland than the EAO is at protecting the environment.

The ALC says “deeply regrets that suitable highway alignment alternatives to the use of prime agricultural land were found not to be acceptable from transportation and environment perspectives….” Nonsense. NO alternatives were seriously considered. The entire process has been a sham. And from a transportation perspective, the SFPR is not necessary at all.  The only perspective that has ever mattered has been the opportunity to turn low cost land into high priced development. That is the only thing that has ever mattered.

Farmland loss is just the start. Ecosystem loss will be irreparable – not that any attempt is being made to do that (repair the damage) either. Homes have already been destroyed. Neighbourhoods disrupted. And for what? The trade that we were supposed to grab a bigger share of has been declining – and that decline will continue. The port expansion is going to be a white elephant – like much of the port expansion that has already occurred up and down the coast.

As long as decisions like this are made, the hope for this region to have a sustainable future recedes. The boards and commissions and independent review agencies are all hopelessly compromised. None have the ability to make a decision that tells the current provincial government that its priorities are out of date. We do indeed have an elected dictatorship. And unbelievably roughly half of the population still think they are doing a good job – and the safer pair of hands during a recession.