Protesters vow to block construction of South Fraser Perimeter Road in North Delta

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      Protesters opposed to construction a four-lane highway on the south side of the Fraser River continued to occupy a site in North Delta today (April 25).

      “We will be here until we feel like we’ve had a significant effect drawing attention to the destruction that’s happening down here,” said Carmen Mills, with the activist group StopThePave.org.

      “We’re here for the long haul. How long that will be is hard to say,” Mills told the Straight today (April 25).

      Protesters set up the camp in the 10700 block of River Road on April 22, which was Earth Day.

      Mills said the group is prepared to physically block highway construction from continuing at the site.

      “We have built some blockades and some ditches so it’s going to be difficult for them to get any machinery in here if they try. But we are also prepared to just stand in front of them and not let them in.”

      Mills said she expected work to possibly resume today but crews had yet to show up this morning.

      “It’s possible that they will just move workers to another site, which is probably what they’ve done, but at some point they’re going to want to resume work on this stretch since it’s already been partially graded and they’re preparing it but we are not going to allow that to happen while we’re here.”

      Eric Doherty, with a local Council of Canadians chapter, described the highway project as a “climate crime” and said it threatens Burns Bog, agricultural land, and local heritage sites.

      “This is about winning the campaign against the South Fraser Perimeter Road and building a climate justice movement that can stop freeway building dead in its tracks,” he told the Straight by phone.

      Doherty said around 30 people were at the protest camp this morning and a Delta police vehicle was parked nearby.

      Construction on the South Fraser Perimeter Road project started in 2008 as part of the province’s Gateway Program to improve roads and bridges.

      The B.C. government says the South Fraser Perimeter Road highway is intended to improve the flow of goods and commuter traffic in the region.

      The 40-kilometre-long highway route stretches from Deltaport Way in Delta to 176th Street in Surrey.

      It is slated to be complete in 2013.

      Comments

      11 Comments

      Carrot

      Apr 25, 2011 at 12:50pm

      Those who are protesting, what is the alternative? We can all sit here and play armchair critic and say that the SFPR is a good idea or bad idea, but what's the back-up plan? To continue to have truck traffic on the regular routes? Is having instances like the accident in New West with dump trucks on residential streets a good idea in the longer term?
      I understand that construction sometimes means destruction in the short term, but the region is growing, there will be several hundred thousand more residents in the 2-3 decades to come and the region has been chronically 10 years behind in infrastructure required to move people and goods. So I ask you again, what is the alternative?

      virgil hammer

      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:07pm

      wow, gotta give it to them traveling all the way from Commercial Drive to Delta and pitching a tent. Good experience for them, I hope it sticks and they can use the venture for work experience towards full time employement.

      Ken Lawson

      Apr 25, 2011 at 2:25pm

      I see the wing nuts of non progress in BC are out in full force and not at work, are they members of the Vision Vancouver Party, they have alot in common!

      RonS

      Apr 25, 2011 at 7:08pm

      Good for them! Keep it blocked until after this election and cut off Federal funds for it. Once it's stopped go after this corrupt LIbERal government in BC and toss them out on their asses!

      rob_

      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:52pm

      @carrott - what are the alternatives?

      Our region needs to invest more in transit. We lag far behind other cities that have transit modal share four times that of ours (see http://rbaxter.blogspot.com/2010/06/transportation-modal-share-vancouver...).

      The truck traffic on our roads is a small compared to single occupancy vehicles. For example, only about 10% of the traffic on the Port Mann is truck traffic.   By giving passenger commuters other options we free up this road space for trucks. There is plenty of excess capacity on the existing road net work for commercial truck traffic.

      A specific alternative for goods transportation along the North and South Fraser perimeter routes is using barge and rail, not truck. This is both practical, cost effective and significantly reduces pollution. For information see http://www.livableregion.ca/blog/blogs/index.php/2008/08/27/mla_guy_gent...

      Second Nation

      Apr 26, 2011 at 6:42am

      This is democracy in action. You might not agree with it but these people care about something and they're expressing themselves politically.

      What are we doing? Writing comments anonymously to people we don't care about and will never meet.

      Ken Lawson

      Apr 26, 2011 at 9:50am

      Stop posting these links we are not interested in propaganda!

      Pat Crowe

      Apr 26, 2011 at 10:13am

      Carpet bomb the protesters!
      Pave the whole damn lower mainland!
      In and Out burger at every exit!

      virgil hammer

      Apr 27, 2011 at 7:31am

      In N Out is the correct spelling Pat, point set match. if you cant take the heat get an air conditioned Escalade biotch! Drive thru and thru. As Neil so eloquently crooned, "Got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
      Got a man of the people,
      says keep hope alive
      Got fuel to burn,
      got roads to drive."