call for an independent third-party investigation<\/a> into the Fraser River Tunnel Project and the circumstances that led to the termination of the ministry\u2019s construction contract with Cross Fraser Partnership, a motion unanimously endorsed by council on Monday, June 15.<\/p>\n\u201cResidents and taxpayers need the province to come clean and explain how this boondoggle was allowed to happen,\u201d Kruger said.<\/p>\n
Kruger called on the province Monday to publish a full cost methodology and scope comparison, updated construction and completion timelines, details on procurement challenges and next steps, and a transparent explanation of how the new numbers differ from previous estimates.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have waited long enough. We know the numbers have changed, and we need the province to how and what that means for the future of this critical transportation corridor,\u201d Kruger said.<\/p>\n
Mayor welcomes investment, eager for next steps <\/p>\n
Last Thursday, following the announcement of federal investment in the tunnel project, Mayor George Harvie \u2014 who is running for re-election in this fall\u2019s civic election \u2014 put out statements on campaign letterhead calling the funding a significant milestone to support long-term economic growth, job creation and industrial modernization across B.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy aligning our fiscal resources and strategic priorities, we are ensuring that western Canada\u2019s most critical infrastructure requirements receive the capital prioritization they require,\u201d Harvie said in the statement shared with the Reporter.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth governments understand completely the immense scope of work, collaboration and resources required to deliver large-scale infrastructure. With this new framework now established, it is imperative that we immediately identify, isolate, and systematically overcome any fiscal or logistical risks that threaten to stall or hinder progress on our region\u2019s most vital transportation link.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harvie said the community is eager for next steps, and that both federal and provincial governments recognize the importance of this clarity for local leadership and residents alike.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to seeing the detailed project plans presented directly to the people of Delta to ensure full transparency,\u201d Harvie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to continuing our constructive, intergovernmental collaboration to ensure that the risks inherent to projects of this magnitude are managed aggressively, construction continues without interruption, and the Fraser River Tunnel [Project] remains a top-tier priority for our nation\u2019s transit and trade corridors.\u201d<\/p>\n
City must have \u201cmeaningful voice at the table,\u201d says mayor hopeful <\/p>\n
Mayor candidate Melissa Granum and her Delta First slate issued a press release Monday morning, prior to Farnworth\u2019s press conference, saying Thursday\u2019s joint federal-provincial announcement makes it clear Delta is at the centre of a \u201clinked infrastructure agenda\u201d including Roberts Bank port expansion and and a potential new Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline route terminating at Delta\u2019s port.<\/p>\n
The release says federal tunnel funding \u201cshould not be viewed in isolation\u201d as it\u2019s part of a package that, for Delta, means \u201cone decision cannot be separated from the others \u2014 expanded port activity, increased industrial traffic, pipeline-related risks, and tunnel replacement planning will all have direct consequences for local roads, the environment, emergency services, and quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDelta cannot be treated simply as the end point for major projects planned by other levels of government,\u201d the release states, adding if these connected projects move forward, the community must have a meaningful voice at the table and a clear plan to secure direct benefits for residents \u2014 including road and transportation upgrades, strong environmental protections, investment in emergency preparedness and \u201cfair compensation that can be invested directly into Delta.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDelta is one of the most strategically important communities in British Columbia,\u201d Granum said in the slate\u2019s press release. \u201cWe live at the crossroads of major transportation corridors, port operations and sensitive environmental areas. That means local government must be a strong, credible advocate for residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen other levels of government make decisions that affect Delta, mayor and council need to ask the right questions, demand mitigation measures, and make sure our community\u2019s interests come first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Granum said city council should insist on transparent consultation, early engagement and practical safeguards \u2014 to include examining environmental impacts, transportation congestion, community growth pressures and the cumulative effects of industrial expansion \u2014 before any major project advances.<\/p>\n
\u201cDelta needs leadership that speaks for residents before decisions are locked in, not after,\u201d Granum said.<\/p>\n
\u2014 with files from Mark Page<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delta city councillor Dylan Kruger is calling for greater transparency surrounding costs, timelines and procurement for the George…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-788382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}