Once again I must draw public attention to the latest madness planned for the town of Salmon Arm by our blindly motivated council. Namely the underpass under the CPR tracks on Ross Street. Are the good tax- paying people of this city going to submit to months of tangled quagmire on this busy street? Loss of business to the many stores in this area and at a cost of millions for a construction that is not necessary and should never be considered. The greatest problem above all else for this treasured city has to be the eventual building of an earth-and-gravel- fill bypass with bridge and rail trestle across the shallow section of the lake. The advantages are surely obvious. There will be no need for an underpass. I agree with the mayor that one million in funding is peanuts for the CPR. No slow-downs for trains or trucks.
The land under tracks can be reclaimed and used to bargain for erection costs with Indian bands and private real estate. And there will be little chance for a major disaster as suffered by Lac-Mégantic.
There will be advantages for all parties involved in this plan and a much-improved town layout for the future of Salmon Arm. It could take years to convince the Feds to improve the #1 Highway but council must continue to keep pressure and contact with the Transport Ministry, B.C. government and CPR head offices in Montreal. I’ll look forward to the all-candidates meeting and trust for wise administration we will elect Ian Wickett, Ken Jamieson and Alan Harrison.
And perhaps they’ll make motions for new restrictions on the pointless cell towers being erected that continue to inflict so much harm to the health of defenceless children.
C. H. (Dave) Dyke