Dear Editor,
Re: “Snubbed Richmond mayor has big questions over 10-lane toll bridge,” News, Dec. 18
Delta’s population is roughly 100,000, while Richmond’s population, at 207,000, is more than twice that. Yet as your article reports, Delta officials were invited while Richmond was “conspicuous by its absence” at the revealing (in Richmond) of the $3.5 billion (Massey Tunnel replacment) bridge project.
What was wrong with this picture? “Nobody from the City of Richmond was invited,” Mayor Brodie said. “You’ll have to ask the ministry why.”
Well, I want to ask that question. Did the News get any answers to the question?
Maybe it was because the Christy Clark government doesn’t want to hear what anyone from Richmond has to say about the project. They certainly avoided public consultation, or much public exposure of their plans, most of which were apparently deleted in any case. Quite the reverse of how they forced the Metro mayors into the transit referendum fiasco of 2015.
It is interesting to look at the traditional spectrum of left/right in this regard. Mayor Brodie’s stance in support of Richmond’s environment seems to put him in opposition to larger, right-wing governments on several issues, making him an ally of more progressive politics. Sometimes standing on principle just does that to a politician.
Keep on asking all those questions, Mayor Brodie. Somebody has to do it.
Steve Bridger
Richmond
