Island left with the scraps
Regarding Premier Horgan’s statement that “we need to find our own solution” to an alternate route for the Malahat, I find his suggestion laughable. The province only cares about the problems on the Mainland. They receive major surgery and we get band-aids. He even stated that Islanders should focus on the problems in the Interior. What about the Island in all this? Flooding, road washouts and the list goes on but we are supposed to only focus on the Mainland.
Were the Island to separate from the rest of B.C., we would be considered a have not province. Think of all the federal funds that would come our way, as they do in Quebec and some of the Eastern provinces. Subsidized ferries, major road building (Malahat for one), tunnels through mountains and perhaps bridges linking areas like the Saanich Inlet and even a duplicate of the Confederation Bridge. Of course this would mean sucking up to whoever is in power at the time. We could learn how Quebec is able to get the majority of the transfers from other provinces.
As long as the Mainland sucks the province dry with all their major building projects, we will always be left with the scraps. I believe we are considered the runt of the litter and only hope that someone will pick us.
All the protesters would have to go to the Mainland and good riddance. We could finally get rid of the monarchy and follow through on our veiled promise of Truth and Reconciliation. The provincial legislature would make a great hotel. Our capital could be in the middle of the Island instead of everything concentrated in Victoria. Could we do better on our own?
Just dreaming of a better day, while still alive.
Ed Aiken
Cobble Hill