Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 4, 2014 21:41:24 GMT -8
I'd only go if Pat McGeer was going to be there, and, oh yeah... if you paid me about five grand for the aggravation of listening...
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Post by princessofvanfan on Sept 4, 2014 21:52:09 GMT -8
I would rather see the Iona Island - Gabriola route idea resurrected than a bridge - which will not happen in my lifetime, anyway.
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 4, 2014 21:59:53 GMT -8
I'd only go if Pat McGeer was going to be there, and, oh yeah... if you paid me about five grand for the aggravation of listening... Oh I don't know... No aggravation, just, I expect, a lot of laughs, Neil. A bridge versus BC Ferries is a debate topic for the CBC Radio show 'The Debaters'. This is not a serious debate, just a topic for a pair of comedians to 'duke it out'. It will be aired later on your radio. |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 4, 2014 22:12:20 GMT -8
I'd only go if Pat McGeer was going to be there, and, oh yeah... if you paid me about five grand for the aggravation of listening... Oh I don't know... No aggravation, just, I expect, a lot of laughs, Neil. A bridge versus BC Ferries is a debate topic for the CBC Radio show 'The Debaters'. This is not a serious debate, just a topic for a pair of comedians to 'duke it out'. It will be aired later on your radio. If it was just for laughs that would be great... but unfortunately, there are always going to be people who think that the lunacy of spending billions of dollars to replace profitable ferry routes actually makes sense, and they don't get the joke, and it goes on and on. Nope, this particular werewolf needs a really, really big silver bullet to put it down for good. |
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 4, 2014 22:23:43 GMT -8
If it was just for laughs that would be great... Neil, it is 'just for laughs'. Have you ever listened to ' The Debaters' on CBC Radio? I would love to take in this 'debate' if I was in or around Nanaimo when they tape the show on September 30th. I understand that the tickets are all sold out. |
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Post by hwy19man on Sept 7, 2014 22:43:12 GMT -8
I'd love to attend the 3 hour taping of this great debate which starts at &:30 P.M. However, there is a snag in the plan, the $38 ticket price not withstanding. There is also the added cost of getting to Nanaimo, another $16.30 in Ferry fares, and: 'oh look!, add one night's hotel charge too as it seems the last boat out of Dodge leaves at 9:30 P.M.  Darn!  |
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Post by Starsteward on Sept 8, 2014 6:32:46 GMT -8
I'd love to attend the 3 hour taping of this great debate which starts at &:30 P.M. However, there is a snag in the plan, the $38 ticket price not withstanding. There is also the added cost of getting to Nanaimo, another $16.30 in Ferry fares, and: 'oh look!, add one night's hotel charge too as it seems the last boat out of Dodge leaves at 9:30 P.M. Darn! And sadly, I have done the research on modes of transportation to and from Duke Point out of downtown Nanaimo. Nanaimo transit bus out to Cedar area then find one's way to Duke Point from there How damn convenient eh?  |
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 24, 2014 10:48:41 GMT -8
So the radio broadcast of the 'debate' you Nanaimoites missed seeing in person goes tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT), or Wednesday at 11:30 a.m, on CBC Radio 1. Hear be a clip from the show... Neil, don't crash your boat into McGeer Island thinking that there is anything remotely serious about this 'debate'. |
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Post by WettCoast on Jul 25, 2015 16:43:30 GMT -8
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 18, 2015 15:51:44 GMT -8
OKay, the BC Govt is going to study the feasibility of roads & fixed links to the Sunshine Coast (no, not Vancouver Island). See this: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015TRAN0123-001542B.C. to study feasibility of Sunshine Coast fixed linkThe Government of B.C. will study the costs and benefits of a possible highway link between the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone announced today.
Follow the above link to see the whole news release.
While a road fixed link connection to the Sunshine Coast may be more easily achieved than one to Vancouver Island, it would serve far fewer people, and would it actually be a road to Squamish rather than something direct?
Note to moderators: feel free to move this to another (or a new) thread, if that makes sense.
WCK
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2015 16:09:29 GMT -8
We still haven't heard anything about the Gabriola Bridge...
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Post by Curtis on Sept 18, 2015 17:06:30 GMT -8
Note to moderators: feel free to move this to another (or a new) thread, if that makes sense.
Perhaps instead of making a new thread, maybe we should just rename this thread to represent all the potential fixed links. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 18, 2015 17:13:04 GMT -8
Note to moderators: feel free to move this to another (or a new) thread, if that makes sense.
Perhaps instead of making a new thread, maybe we should just rename this thread to represent all the potential fixed links. Great idea - done ! |
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Post by Curtis on Sept 18, 2015 18:59:12 GMT -8
Here's the Global News Report on the Sunshine Coast Fixed Link: globalnews.ca/video/2229684/sunshine-coast-highwayLooks like there's 3 Options being Considered: Option 1: Highway 101 rerouted and bridges built across Jervis Inlet and Howe Sound. Option 2: Extension of Highway 101 between Gibsons and Squamish. Option 3: New Highway between Powell River and Squamish. We've heard a couple of these ideas in the past, but it's hard to say if any of these will make it past the study phase. Personally, I don't think any of these will happen, but if I had to pick one, I think Option 2 would be the most likely choice. Though I wouldn't mind option 3... |
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Post by Dane on Sept 18, 2015 19:18:23 GMT -8
Interesting to watch how this plays out. I don't have much to add except this government loves spending money on highways, so maybe there is a glimmer of potential here. The options do seem impractical for entirely eliminating the need cir a ferry, though.
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 18, 2015 20:09:17 GMT -8
Perhaps instead of making a new thread, maybe we should just rename this thread to represent all the potential fixed links. Great idea - done ! How about changing the thread title to " Fixed links - speculation, news & just plain comedy".
Of those options the government is listing, does anyone think any of them are affordable now or in the near future? |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 18, 2015 21:19:47 GMT -8
How about changing the thread title to " Fixed links - speculation, news & just plain comedy".
Of those options the government is listing, does anyone think any of them are affordable now or in the near future? If there is any sanity in these studies, they will no doubt show that the capital costs in bridge and highway construction make ferry subsidies look like peanuts, particularly given the relatively small population that lives between Gibsons and Lund. Probably not a bad idea to work out the costs though, if only to put to rest notions that continue to pop up among the magic marker on a map crowd. |
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Post by Mike C on Sept 18, 2015 23:21:19 GMT -8
In addition to all of these concerns, just wanted to add that the Ministry of Transportation currently owns a right of way to construct a 4-lane bypass around Gibsons between Langdale Terminal and Roberts Creek - of which only the first 1.something kilometers has been constructed. Community vitality concerns from residents stopped that route from being completed. If this fixed link were to happen, that four-lane stretch would likely need to be constructed, for traffic engineering purposes (ferries moderate the flow of traffic, and that would go mostly unregulated with a bridge/highway). The residents of Roberts Creek and Gibsons would likely have something to say about that, and it would be a surprisingly large hurdle for the MoT to overcome.
Bear in mind that feasibility studies are meant for all stakeholders - not just the public, but also local governments and regional districts as well. I suspect this study was from repeated requests from the Sunshine Coast RD, and maybe the municipalities as well.
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Post by Starsteward on Sept 19, 2015 8:59:52 GMT -8
OKay, the BC Govt is going to study the feasibility of roads & fixed links to the Sunshine Coast (no, not Vancouver Island). See this: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015TRAN0123-001542B.C. to study feasibility of Sunshine Coast fixed linkThe Government of B.C. will study the costs and benefits of a possible highway link between the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone announced today.
Follow the above link to see the whole news release.
While a road fixed link connection to the Sunshine Coast may be more easily achieved than one to Vancouver Island, it would serve far fewer people, and would it actually be a road to Squamish rather than something direct?
Note to moderators: feel free to move this to another (or a new) thread, if that makes sense.
WCK
If one reads paragraph 2 of the BC Government's press release, one is treated to yet another dose of Minister Stone's 'selective geographical support' for attracting and supporting tourism and investment. I concede the latest offering of 'support' comes in the form of laying asphalt, not ferry service. That said, all the fine residents of B.C.'s - mid-coast must surely be reeling from yet another slap in the face as Minister Stone is quite content to see the growth of tourism and investment in the mid-coast region wither away since cancelling the Queen of Chilliwack's mid-coast connector service. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2015 10:08:09 GMT -8
The benefits to a Sunshine Coast bridge would be eliminating the need to rebuild the overhead waiting area in HSB, and of course 24-hour access to the coast. I would fully support this. But I do agree with Mr. Photo, they should complete the bypass first. Currently it only bypasses Lower-Gibsons, and driving through Gibsons coming off a ferry is a real pain.
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Post by Dane on Nov 30, 2015 18:19:09 GMT -8
I am pretty busy at the moment, but I just saw a release from the Powell River Chamber of Commerce that essentially says the Province has firmly committed to a Sunshine Coast fixed link. Of course, the Chamber cannot make announcements for the Province, but this could be an interesting development and the most concrete news we have seen on the matter. If someone who hasn't spent a week procrastinating on studying could post a link that would be great!! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2015 23:26:04 GMT -8
I am pretty busy at the moment, but I just saw a release from the Powell River Chamber of Commerce that essentially says the Province has firmly committed to a Sunshine Coast fixed link. Of course, the Chamber cannot make announcements for the Province, but this could be an interesting development and the most concrete news we have seen on the matter. If someone who hasn't spent a week procrastinating on studying could post a link that would be great!! I hate to be negative, but could this be an announcement for a series of cable ferries across Jervis Inlet and a road across Nelson Island? This has been discussed before... And, with an election in a year and a half, this would be a great way to snatch the Powell River-Sunshine Coast seat. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 1, 2015 6:12:59 GMT -8
I've searched for what Dane says he saw, and I see no evidence of any announcement about a commitment for a fixed-link for Sunshine Coast.
Any posts on this topic are still very much speculation, and I suggest that you keep in mind the lack of any news on this topic, if you're going to reply to this.
So Dane, I haven't spent a week studying, but I can't be great and post a link, because there is none. I know you're not a troll, so you must have seen something that sounded like an announcement, but I can't see any 3rd party evidence of this.
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Post by Mike C on Dec 1, 2015 11:51:48 GMT -8
I've searched for what Dane says he saw, and I see no evidence of any announcement about a commitment for a fixed-link for Sunshine Coast. Any posts on this topic are still very much speculation, and I suggest that you keep in mind the lack of any news on this topic, if you're going to reply to this. So Dane, I haven't spent a week studying, but I can't be great and post a link, because there is none. I know you're not a troll, so you must have seen something that sounded like an announcement, but I can't see any 3rd party evidence of this. Dane is on the inside edge on a lot of this stuff, so it could very well be that it is not yet public, but was seen in an email, etc. I have not seen anything or heard anything indicative of such an announcement (from a very brief perusal of my email and the SCC), but my ear isn't to the ground on transportation/planning items happening down south, so I am really not sure on this one. Also seems kind of early for this announcement. The feasibility and EIA process takes sometimes years to complete (the EIA on this one would be significant)... but again, I suspect Dane knows more about that than I do. |
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Post by WettCoast on Dec 1, 2015 15:34:24 GMT -8
I am having difficulty believing that there is any substance to this at all. However, a fixed link might mean simply that road connection between Squamish & Gibsons. This is feasible but would cost a fortune and would be of somewhat limited usefulness. Might such have something to do with public money helping to facilitate the proposed LNG project on Howe Sound?
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Darn! 
