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With MLA's like these, who needs enemies (03.14.08)


Being hip deep in this community it’s not uncommon to hear more than your share of conversations that begin with “did you hear what those jackasses did?” More often than not the comments are directly related to the latest Mayor and or Council guffaw. Lately however my phone has been ringing off the hook with every “did you hear?” being immediately followed by “that’s nothing, did you hear this?”

Let’s face it, our community is hemorrhaging and it’s getting downright overwhelming. One consistent we can always rely on however is being dumped on. And who dumps on Squamish better than our provincial government. Yes those people who have time and time again treated Squamish like our mayor is in their back pocket.

The laundry list of atrocities is as embarrassing as it is infuriating. From the questionably legal CN Rail sale to the Ministry of Forests spitting in our face. Then of course there is everyone’s current favorite, The Ministry of Transportation and Highways that have to put up with a community that dares to have the audacity to get in the way of their 2010 super highway.

But today we’re back to talking about dumps. Yes it’s with fondness we remember our river and estuary being poisoned while our leaders said “thank you sir may I have another.” This time it’s a lake size gasoline spill on the highway by Murrin Park. That’s fine, accidents happen. But guess where it’s been sitting for weeks… Murrin Park. That’s right, not only is it in a Provincial Park but its right beside the lake. Doesn’t that just shine the ugly truth on our Province’s commitment to parks?

I can only imagine the glee as they found out it happened in Squamish, “Well they’re not going to stop us putting hydro towers through a park, why not potential diesel in the lake as well.” Hey, does that mean if we find any contaminated Nexen Beach soil we can dump it in Alice Lake?

The appalling optics of this is just another reason why our MLA Joan Macintyre will do an excellent job as Minister of Environment. As we see here, she’s already realized the most important part of this electoral district is to realize Squamish is weak so dump away.

Then there’s her silence on the Pinecone Burke hydro lines which screams ‘done deal’. Oh but wait, they have to go through the Environmental Assessment Office. Ha-ha, (pause to wipe tears) I can hear the conversation now “I’m sorry, you can’t build that IPP here because your stack of bills must be ‘this’ high.”

Maybe I’m being too hard on someone who gives the impression she is powerless in her own party. This of course makes her even worse than her predecessor MLA, Ted Nebbling who was at least honest about his contempt for Squamish. Now we’re stuck with Joan who appears to care as she smiles pretty for our local papers all the while her government repeatedly stabs us in the back.

 


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