the best place on earth...

My family and I recently returned from a week spent exploring parts of British Columbia. Specifically the southern parts from Vancouver to Cranbrook and back. With over 2000 km to travel and only a week to do it, the trip was an ambitious one from the start. Never mind the fact that our Ford Focus, overstuffed with kids, bikes and gear left us wondering more than a few times whether or not we would actually make it to the top of that next summit along the way.

Never-the-less, we were excited about the trip and despite the rush and some of the challenges faced along the way, we still managed to see some really great places and were provided with many reasons as to why BC should be considered as "the Best Place on Earth!"


One of the main reasons for this particular route was so that we could visit some of our friends that had recently moved away from the Vancouver area. It seems like lately more and more of our friends are pulling up roots and replanting themselves in parts scattered across the province, sad perhaps but a great reason for a road trip! This time around the plan was to hit Lac Le Jeune, Kamloops, and Cranbrook with various stops in between, most important for me was a stop at Panorama Ski Resort outside of Invermere for a couple of days of mountain biking.

Because of all the places that we had to be and the time that we had to get there we ended up spending a lot of time on the road, staring longingly at majestic mountain vistas, lakes, pristine rivers and vast forests (sadly more than a few devastated by the beetle) through the windshield of our belaboured Focus wagon. Still, we did manage a few key stops at places like the last spike in the transcontinental railroad, Rogers Pass, the Hope slide and other significant points of Canadian and British Columbia history, just to keep the trip educational for our boys. Of equal importance, we were able to glimpse a few areas of the province that we would like to see more of and so are better able to plan our next trip into parts of ...the best place on Earth!

Which brings me to my final point, if there's to be a point in this particular story at all. During the trip I often found myself caught up in our surroundings, from the devastating results of the Pine Beetle in the Kamloops area, to the Shushwap, to the rugged mountain passes around Revelstoke, Golden and Invermere, to the deer on the street in front of the house we were staying at in Cranbrook, to the desert of Osoyoos (you get the picture). This trip, for whatever reason extended my sense of community from our little piece of Vancouver-Hastings to the greater community of British Columbia. Maybe its because of all the people we now know in these places, I don't know but this trip made me realize what a great place we are a part of.

There has been a certain amount of objection and negative comment to the BC governments decision to identify our province as "the best place on earth". Many of the negative comments identify the narrow mindedness of such a label and point out equally fantastic parts of others places in the world. Others point out some of the challenges to living in BC and, more specifically Vancouver as a result of high housing prices and so on. While I understand these challenges and also accept that I have seen some great things in the places I've been, places like Germany, Mexico, Fiji, Australia, I point out that I (and many of us) have always returned to BC. For me, and for most of us that live here, British Columbia is the best place on Earth and I think thats the point to the governments message. Perhaps more of us should stop and take a look at what we have for a minute instead of always finding ways to point out what we don't have or what we should have, or what is owed to us.

If you are a British Columbian, BC really should be the best place on Earth!

transit\'tran(t)s-et, 'tranz-\ n [L transitus, fr. transitus, pp. of transire to go across, pass} (15c) 1 a: an act, process, or instance of passing through or over ; PASSAGE b: CHANGE, TRANSITION c (1) : conveyance of persons or things from one place to another (2) : usu. local transportation esp. of people by public conveyance; also : vehicles or a system engaged in such transportation.

What is transit? To some transit is limited to public buses, light rail, trains, seabuses and other forms of public transportation as point (2) in Webster's definition (above) seems to support. However, I would argue that points (1) and (3) imply that transit includes any form of transportation or infrastructure that supports it thereby allowing people and things to move.

This should then include cycling and cycling infrastructure. What do you think? Is money spent on cycling infrastructure not money invested in better transit? I think so!

BC Liberals invest $1.7 million for "Better Transit"

A few months ago I made comment here about a sign that I had spotted in my neighbourhood. The sign, produced by the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) read Better Transit, Not Freeways and its intent (presumably) was to draw attention to the concerns of a few citizens over the provinces Gateway program. Gateway, of course is a project set up by the BC government to address much needed transportation infrastructure upgrades throughout British Columbia.

Better Transit signs can be found scattered throughout neighbourhoods across the GVRD but I would wager that no community hosts as many as that of the Commercial and Victoria Drive areas of East Vancouver. The signs, while very simple in nature draw the reader towards the SPEC web site at http://www.spec.bc.ca/ where it is the hopes of the organization that concerned citizens will sign the on-line petition to encourage the government to invest our money in... Better Transit, not freeways!

To say that SPEC and similar organizations like it are against Gateway is probably a bit of an understatement. Nonetheless and despite the narrow focus I would say that their position is fair, after all in a society like ours its important that citizens take part in any debate over how our tax dollars are spent. The trouble is in this case I don't believe that many of those in opposition to Gateway are actually looking at the project as a whole. Many critics seem stuck on the notion that Gateway is about twinning a bridge and widening a freeway, a view that limits their ability to see the forest through the trees (sorry).


Case in point. On Friday July 6 I (along with 2 fellow members of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) had the opportunity to be on hand as BC Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Minister of State for ActNow BC Gordon Hogg announced $ 1.7 million for cycling infrastructure in communities throughout the province. Or, for the benefit of anyone from SPEC that might be reading, for "Better Transit!" This $1.7 million is a part of the almost $100 million (more money for cycling in BC than ever spent before) spent or pledged on cycling by the BC Liberals and it will be distributed through the Cycling Infrastructure Partnerships Program (CIPP) which is a province wide cost share initiative between the provincial government and local governments.

CIPP funding is intended to allow for the development of critical cycling infrastructure like separate bicycle paths, shoulder bike ways, bike lanes and shared roadways. All of these are important elements to encourage more and more people to take up cycling as a viable transportation alternative or to simply get out and enjoy the health benefits of cycling in the safest manner possible. During the announcement just over a week ago Minister Falcon showed his passion for cycling by committing to bicycle lanes on every new piece of road built by the province. He also stated that new cycling funding, among other things will "...give commuters a chance to get out of their vehicles and get on their bikes, it will also help ease congestion, cut down on emissions, and improve the air quality."

For those from SPEC that may still be reading, once again read more money for Better Transit... not just freeways!

our plan is working!

In this booming economy with unemployment at a record low and a provincial government that actually cares and is doing something about the environment, health care, poverty, the provinces critical infrastructure and relationships with first nations (to name a few), its easy to forget the 90's. We shouldn't forget the 90's and how the NDP government of the day very nearly destroyed it all. 6 years later, with many ups and downs encountered along the way, its easy to see that the plan is working. Remember this in May 2009.

There goes my hero...

Wow! Just when I was beginning to think that nothing interesting was going to happen in BC politics this summer (now that summer has finally happened), Shane Simpson comes along and, for the sake of the environment and at tremendous personal risk, tries to take on Ledcor Power.

According to Province columnist Michael Smyth, Vancouver-Hastings own BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson has been recently accused of trespassing (along with an entourage of environmental activists) at Ledcors Ashlu Creek hydro project. Is anyone really surprised? Simpson has never made a secret out of the fact that he opposes the environmentally friendly run-of-the-river project at Ashlu Creek. Strange when you consider the impact that projects like this one have compared to bigger hydro projects that require large reservoirs, that cause large-scale flooding and that contribute greenhouse gas emissions.

Run of the river projects divert a portion of a creek or rivers water through an intake structure and into an underground tunnel. As Mr. Simpson correctly pointed out from his unauthorized "inspection" of the Ashlu project, a 7 km tunnel is being built (in this case) to take this diverted water to a power house (roughly the size of a large house). The advantage of the tunnel system (despite what Shane may try and tell us) is that it can be built without disturbing the landscape or the wildlife that lives above it. Once at the power house, the diverted water turns turbines that in turn generate electricity, in the case of the Ashlu project that's enough electricity to provide power to some 23 000 homes annually. Once used, all water is returned clean and unchanged to Ashlu creek.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? After all, since we need power why wouldn't we try to get it from green sources like the one being built at Ashlu creek? Well if your Shane Simpson, environment critic for the BC NDP you don't agree. As Michael Smyth points out in today's column, Shane Simpson "likes to stay on top of all the big construction projects affecting the environment in British Columbia." But wait... Ashlu is a green project! How could Simpson possibly object to a green hydro project? The truth is that when it comes to Ashlu creek it really has nothing to do with anything green except that is, for money.

Shane Simpson objects to the Ashlu creek project because it is a private project, not because its not green! Simpson and the BC NDP by their very nature can't accept any project of this nature unless it is controlled by the government and so, in the interest of trying to find a real environmental reason to oppose the Ashlu Creek Project, Shane Simpson chose to lead a group of like-minded, misguided supporters on an unauthorized and extremely dangerous fact-finding mission into a construction site. This without any of the appropriate personal protective equipment needed to enter an active construction zone (where is Bill C-45 when you need it?)and without any regard for the health and safety of himself or anyone in his group.

Who said that there aren't any heroes left in the world?

Meanwhile, back in Vancouver-Hastings crime seems to be on a steady increase, the troubles of the Downtown Eastside seem to be spilling into our community, residents no longer feel safe... and the community continues to go largely under-represented by any of its elected officials!

Transportation in the BC (and especially the GVRD) has become a very hot topic over the past couple of years, partly with the introduction of the BC Liberals Gateway program, desperately needed improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway and the Kicking Horse Pass, the Canada Line and a number of other initiatives designed to improve a largely neglected transportation infrastructure. Complicating matters, there seems to be almost as many opinions about how to fix the problem as there are transportation choices but very few seem to look at the whole picture. In the end, whether you drive, take the bus, ride a bike or walk, we are all somehow impacted by a growing population and a long outdated transportation infrastructure. This said, it appears as though Translink and an aging bus fleet seem to be the focus of the latest conversation on transportation in Vancouver and the GVRD...

More buses...

One solution being offered up by organizations like SPEC and the Bus Riders Union is to increase the number of buses in the area by as much as 20%. This isn't a bad idea although one might argue that a significant increase in buses will only increase congestion unless some serious road upgrades are made at the same time. Of course the counter-argument would be that more buses will decrease the number of cars on the road meaning less congestion however, Jan Efting of the Bus Riders Union raises some speculation on this point in her column in the Friday 22 Jun Province. In her opinion piece Ms. Efting points out that in 2006 bus riders were left to wait at stops 10 extra minutes, 19 000 times, as full buses passed by. She goes on to say that there are 500 fewer buses running during the rush hour than what were promised (imply necessary) by Translink in 2000.

While I don't necessarily dispute Jan Efting's claim I can't help but wonder if this means that the proposed 20% more buses will be just enough to take up the current slack in the system or whether this includes room for new riders? Long line-ups at the bus stop will do very little to encourage more people to take the bus meaning that 20% more buses may in fact do little to decrease congestion on the streets. More buses, without rapid transit (as the Bus Riders Union seem to favour) is not the answer!

...lower fares!

This is the all important second half of the war cry of the Bus Riders Union, and why not? Don't we all relish the thought of getting something for nothing? Recently Translink announced that it would seek fare increases of about 12%, or $0.25 per trip on buses, skytrain and the Seabus. To most of the population, including many of us that take the bus this seems reasonable, after all if we expect an increase in any kind of service there should be some expectation that someone has to pay for it. Shouldn't we?

Not if you are a member of the Bus Riders Union or for that matter the BC NDP. Despite the rising price of commodities (like fuel), the expanded maintenance costs of an expanded fleet, extra staff and the initial cost of new buses, these groups feel it unfair that the end user of Translink's services, the bus rider's actually pay any part of an increase in service. Translink has made plans to increase its current fleet by adding 400 buses at an approximate cost of $500 000 for each bus (assuming they are standard 40 pax diesels) and to replace 228 aging trolley buses with new low floor models that cost significantly more. The 20% increase in buses proposed by SPEC comes with a price tag of about $170 million, either way a lot of money and since most of us know that nothing really comes free this would mean that any increase in Translink's services would be placed squarely on the shoulders of the taxpayer.

Thank goodness for calmer heads at Translink and for a BC government that understands that there is a limit to how far a tax dollar can stretch. In the end we will all have to pay for a part of these increases and, as tough is it may be for some, bus riders must be prepared to pay their share as well.

What's making you Sicko?

I haven't yet seen Michael Moores latest project Sicko. To be honest, if I see it I will likely wait until I can rent it on video. Its not that I have anything against Moore or his movies, in fact in most cases I have agreed with what he try's to say I just don't necessarily agree with the journey he takes to get to his decisions. Like the establishment that he criticizes, I don't believe that Michael Moore necessarily offers up the whole story. Anyway, I am interested in the topic he has chosen this time as health care is a very important topic in British Columbia right now and its a subject that has hit kind of close to home lately.

While it can be argued that our health care system is not yet anywhere near the poor shape of our neighbours to the south of us, there is certainly no denying that the system is in trouble. Currently in this province health care spending gobbles up about 40% of our tax dollars and its only getting worse. Why? Great question and there are undoubtedly hundreds of possible answers. To their credit the BC Liberals are in the process of trying to find these answers along with some practical solutions to our health care woes through the Conversation on Health. Despite these efforts, critics such as the BC NDP, BC Federation of Labour (to name a few) still believe that the best solution to health care in BC is to throw more money at it.

I'm no expert on health care, but I do believe that I have a fair amount of common sense and so the irony of the picture that I came across in the paper last week wasn't lost. Aging population, bad habits such as smoking, lack of exercise, new strains of virus's are all contributors to a system bulging at its seams, but maybe part of our problem lies a little closer to our waist lines than we would like to believe.