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Letter: Rails to Trails is a catchy slogan for a flawed campaign

Mayor Dianne Watts and Mayor Wayne Baldwin are working on a campaign that would change both Cloverdale and White Rock forever.
35769cloverdalewAlignmentsSurreyBNSF
A map showing four possible alignments of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line

To the editor;

To some degree change is inevitable. Many of us would not be where we are today without change. Mayor Dianne Watts and Mayor Wayne Baldwin are working on a campaign that would change both Cloverdale and White Rock forever. This campaign is called ‘Rails to Trails’. It is the relocation of the Burlington Northern Santa-Fe Railway. Clearing the way for a proposed sea wall on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

However, one must stop if only for a moment to realize that this campaign is flawed. It will change the landscape of Cloverdale bringing up to 30 to 50 uncovered coal trains per day. With the future use of hazardous materials.

Neither community want to see a repeat of Lac Megantic.

Yes, it is a catchy slogan, ‘Rails to Trails’. But who are we kidding? Maybe we just need to say ‘NO’!

Have we ever questioned why does BNSF Railway not transport their coal to their Seattle Port? Maybe its time.

Change is important, only this time it’s for the health and safety of all of us affected. Don’t put one community up against another. We are all in this together.

 

Jean Van Zanten

Cloverdale

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