To the Editor,
Re: No increased risk on Hwy. 4, MOTI tells ACRD, AV News, Nov. 1, 2023.
I read your article recounting the presentation from the Ministry of Transportation reps at the ACRD meeting and listened to Mike Pearson of MOTI discussing his report to the ACRD and his transportation committee directives.
Firstly, just as with the steep rock slopes and the Dog Mountain fire of 2015, there are hundreds of dead trees above Angel Rock that will fall down sooner or later, despite what he said.
Trees are still falling on Dog Mountain eight years later.
Secondly, successive B.C. governments have promised millions of dollars of improvements to Cathedral Grove and around Cameron Lake but now Pearson says the Cathedral Grove study is “on the shelf” and there’s nothing more that can be done at Angel Rock other than some shoulder widening.
The Kennedy Hill project went so far over budget that there’s no more money for the rest of Highway 4? At this rate, we may never have a decent highway out of the Valley.
On top of that, the Comox Main or Lake Cowichan routes that the government is looking at are four or five times longer to the Inland Island Highway and do nothing for accessing health-care facilities, the ferries or the Qualicum or Nanaimo airports, let alone more reliable and efficient travel for business and industry.
This government and the ministry have to give their heads a shake and do something for this region other than another study to put on a shelf.
Bob Cole,
Port Alberni
