MLA candidates are betting solutions to Queensborough’s transportation woes will help win votes in the upcoming provincial election.
The political hopefuls unveiled their ideas to a group of about 40 people at Tuesday night’s all-candidates meeting in Queensborough.
The event, organized by the Queensborough Residents Association, was the first all-candidates meeting for the new provincial riding of Richmond-Queensborough, and the only one planned for Queensborough. Until now, the Royal City suburb has been part of the New Westminster riding – a seat currently held by the NDP’s Judy Darcy.
The new riding lumps Queensborough, located on the eastern tip of Lulu Island, with East Richmond. The riding is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, east and south, and Oak Street, No. 4 Road and No. 3 Road to the west.
Running are B.C. Liberal candidate Jas Johal, Aman Singh with the NDP, Michael Wolfe with the Green party, and Kay Hale, candidate for the B.C. Conservatives. They all took part in the hour-and-a-half debate held at the Queensborough Community Centre. (There is also a New Republican Party candidate registered, Lawrence Chen, but he was not at the meeting.)
“It was really (about) trying to cover what is relevant to Queensborough,” said Laurie Moore, president of the Queensborough Residents’ Association. “It’s a new riding and, it being incorporated into Richmond, my worry is that whoever gets in, we’re going to end up being the poor cousin.”
Contenders did their best to prove this wasn’t true. On the subject of transportation, Singh proposed reviving the Q2Q pedestrian bridge plan to connect the two parts of New West.
“If that bridge were put into place, it would take about 10 minutes to walk to the other side to take the SkyTrain,” he said. “Those are the kinds of plans that work for the future. We need to start moving towards a society that doesn’t encourage more cars.”
The pedestrian/cyclist crossing from Queensborough to the Quay was estimated to cost $39.1 million, according to a report prepared by SNC Lavalin. The project was quashed – for now – because the costs were considered too high and above the city’s available resources.
Johal, meanwhile, suggested a passenger ferry would be a viable alternative to the pedestrian bridge. It would operate at certain times during the day and connect ’Boro residents to downtown.
“TransLink puts in money, we (the province) put in money, we get an independent operator, and the city puts in money,” he told residents. “I want to hear more about this from all of you today in regards to if that could be something we could look at instead of a $40-million bridge and all the costs that go to keep that running.”
A passenger ferry from Queensborough to the Quay has been under consideration by the City of New Westminster. In January, Lisa Spitale, the city’s chief administrative officer, said staff was investigating what land improvements would be needed on both sides to operate a ferry.
Another hot-button issue was a bus service for Queensborough students who attend New Westminster Secondary School. Both Johal and Singh brought up the service and possible involvement from the provincial government. As it stands, the district does not provide transportation for its Queensborough students to NWSS. A recent report by the school district revealed a large subsidy would be required to make it affordable for families.
“On the whole I think it was a pretty good night,” Moore said after the meeting. “I would have liked to see a bigger turnout.”
When asked what he’d like to see over the next month from his fellow Queensborough residents, he said all he wants is to see them vote.
“It’s kind of cliché,” he chuckled. “If you didn’t vote, then I don’t see that you’ve really taken any responsibility to be able to complain.”
