"That didn't get much of an applause," Polak prompted when her announcement met with silence. The audience obliged her

Yesterday I became aware of a BC Liberal campaign which stated, "We Want to Hear from You – GetInvolved Today".

 

This in case you were not aware, is with regards to the much talked about, and  s - l - o - w - l - y being built, four lanes of highway from Kamloops through to Alberta.

They are inviting us to; "Help shape the government’s $650 million investment over the next 10 years to improve the safety, reliability and movement of people and goods along the Trans-Canada Highway."

Would I be wrong in saying, "Enough already -- we know it needs to be built -- so do you -- GET GOING and finish the job"

Call me a skeptic, but as far as I am concerned, this is just phony show of money wasting talk-talk-talk consultation.

Today, in my email I received the following comments from a friend in the Shuswap, they said:

On  Tuesday Mary Polak (Minister of Transportation), along with BC Liberals candidate Greg Kyllo, were at a luncheon meeting here in Enderby -- only 34 people showed up.  Mary promised they would put $5.2 million into the road out of Enderby going north to Mable Lake. 

This morning Christie Clark promised to upgrade the Highway #1 to 4 lanes from Kamloops to the Alberta border.  This runs right through Salmon Arm and is mostly in our Shuswap riding.

On Thursday Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid was in Vernon to announce the opening of more floors in the Vernon Hospital.

The BC Liberals are getting really desperate and know they can promise anything, because there is very little chance they will have to follow through on their promises. 

Now today in the Kamloops Daily news is a story, "Minister vows four lanes to Chase -- Public consultation on 10-year four-laning project to begin on Tuesday"

Here is just a bit of the content from that story:

Sweeping skepticism aside, Transportation Minister Mary Polak promised Thursday that widening of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Chase will start this year.

Polak and MLA Terry Lake reiterated a commitment made last fall by Premier Christy Clark as they announced, to a room filled with local politicians, the start of a month of public consultations along the corridor.

The minister was adamant — despite years of promised highway upgrading — that the 10-year, 440-kilometre project is beginning in earnest.

"That didn't get much of an applause," Polak prompted when her announcement met with silence. The audience obliged her.

Studies dating back 23 years have pointed to congestion and safety issues along the route. Between 2007 and 2011, there were 76 fatalities and 1,053 injuries on that highway section alone.

Incremental improvements have been made.

 

I rest my case!

More talk.
More discussion.
More studies.
More, more, more, because WHY?

Again ... both NDP and BC Liberal governments have known and talked about having four lanes of highway to the Alberta border.  IF they plan to actually build it, then get on with it.  The time for talk is long ago over.

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops ... with the thoughts of one conservative.