Business leaders in New Westminster and Surrey will be holding discussions about the plans to replace the Pattullo Bridge.
Some New Westminster have proposed that the Pattullo Bridge should be demolished and not replaced. This is a concern for Surrey board of trade CEO Anita Huberman. She has told media that it is "frustrating" to hear New Westminster residents support a smaller replacement bridge or no bridge at all, according to a Business in Vancouver article.
But the local chamber of commerce has yet to take a stand on the Pattullo proposals.
"From our chamber's perspective, we won't have a solid position until after that dialogue because we want to make sure we ask all of the right questions," executive director Cori Lynn Germiquet told The Record.
The chamber and board of trade are co-hosting the meeting about the potential future of the aging bridge on May 24, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Fraser River Discovery Centre at 788 Quayside Dr. The meeting will bring together representatives from the City of New Westminster, the City of Surrey and TransLink.
The purpose of the meeting is to give businesses a voice, Germiquet said.
"This is strictly for business," she said. "We know businesses have a lot of questions and they have some concerns about some of the proposals that are on the table, so this is an opportunity, in a business environment, to ask the questions and to get the responses."
As for Huberman's stance on the suggestion of demolishing the bridge, Germiquet said, "that's her opinion."
"Every city has its own opinion and every chamber has its own opinion," she said, adding, "We respect each other's opinions."
For more information, visit the chamber's website at www.newwestchamber.com.
