The Council of Canadians and allies have been calling on the federal government to launch an environmental review of the proposed Massey Bridge.
The ten-lane Massey Bridge would replace the four-lane George Massey Tunnel, a highway traffic tunnel in Metro Vancouver that goes under the south arm of the Fraser River estuary and joins the municipalities of Richmond and Delta. Both our Vancouver-Burnaby and Delta-Richmond chapters have been vocal in their opposition to the bridge.
Now the Surrey Leader reports, “Metro Vancouver regional district directors have voted to ask the federal government to conduct its own environmental assessment of the province’s proposed bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel. …Metro’s letter to Ottawa warns the 10-lane bridge is a ‘major expansion of car-oriented infrastructure’ that brings significant potential adverse environmental effects, such us undermining the regional growth strategy, as well as potential damage to bird and salmon habitat in the Fraser estuary. It also accuses the province of ignoring potential climate change impacts.”
The news report adds, “An additional environmental review beyond the assessment the province is already leading would be a major extra hurdle for the project and could put it to tougher scrutiny. Vancouver Coun. Adriane Carr said Ottawa should run its own review because it has jurisdiction over both fisheries and the port. ‘Certainly the fisheries do stand a chance to be affected’, Carr said. ‘I think they do have not only the right but the obligation to proceed.’ …The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency previously concluded the project is essentially a highway upgrade that doesn’t trigger a federal review, but Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna could order one anyway.”
We hope that McKenna does order a review.
Especially since the Globe and Mail reported on March 24 that, “[Federal infrastructure minister] Amarjeet Sohi faced questions about federal financing for the project – which was absent from [the federal government’s March 22] budget – during a question-and-answer session held by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. …’It is not the federal government’s role to determine what the local priorities are’, said Mr. Sohi, as he was questioned by chamber members, the bridge-supporting mayor of Delta and reporters. …Mr. Sohi said there was money left in the Building Canada fund of the former government, which could be used to help pay for the bridge.”
We believe that federal infrastructure funds should not contribute to worsening the climate crisis.
As Vancouver-based transportation consultant Eric Doherty, who is also a member of our Vancouver-Burnaby chapter, has written, “Given Trudeau’s statements on the seriousness of the climate crisis, you might expect that the multi-billion dollar infrastructure program he ran on in the election would already be targeted to reduce carbon pollution. You would be wrong. …Every dollar of public money spent on roadway expansion is a dollar spent to sabotage the Paris Climate agreement, and to push humanity towards truly catastrophic global warming. Let’s help Justin succeed in this tough work, by demanding that not one dollar of public infrastructure money go to increase carbon pollution.”
To encourage the environment minister to hold an environmental review of the Massey Bridge, please email her at Catherine.McKenna@parl.gc.ca and/or tweet her at @ec_minister
The Council of Canadians supports the Leap Manifesto demand for affordable public transit in place of more cars.
