What is wrong with Delta?

Illustration of the WhiteCaps training center project (credit: VancouverSun)

Saturday January 16th, 2010, the South Fraser Action Network was organizing a Town Hall meeting on “The True Costs of the South Fraser Perimeter Road” [1] in Delta, BC. A crowd in excess of well above 100 came, if not to get answers, to have at least an understanding at it…Thought invited, the Delta Council as a whole, ostensibly refused to listen the concern of their constituents…

When it happens to bring support to unsustainable development, the Delta council is always present.

Again recently, it was supporting the development of an also called “National soccer training centre” proposed by the Vancouver WhiteCaps club. To be sure, there is nothing against supporting the development of sport facilities, but there is something wrong to support such development in an area

• not well serviced by transit [2], and
• in the middle of reserved farm land (ALR) as stated by the Agricultural Land Commission

Illustration of the Delta council insanity: Extract of the Translink map with the ALR zone in overlay with the training center project location highlighted

It is even more wrong to use the taxpayer money to finance [3] development occurring into the ALR zone, and which will involve further taxpayer money spending in public amenities like transportation infrastructure or service in order to serve the development.

Eventually interesting project, but wrong place

Fortunately, the economic climax got reason of the council patience, since it gave up on the project [4] also saving $17.5 million of taxpayer money [3]

So there is a reason to cheer, but there is little reason of pride in Delta.

[1] One can refers to the south fraser perimeter Road blog posts of the Livable region coalition or the bad freeway blog

[2] the nearby route 10 is serviced by a rush hour bus only, 311, and a low frequency community shuttle, C76. see Translink for further detail.

[3] In a failed attempt to gain a MLA seat for Wally Oppal at the last provincial election, the liberal government has tried to buy votes by promising to subsidize this training center, (“Liberals promise $17.5-million soccer centre in Delta”, VancouverSun, May 2, 2009). For the record, the seat has been won by the independent MLA Vicki Huntington whose was present at the Saturday January 16th, 2010 meeting on the South Fraser perimeter road (as long as the MLA Guy Gentner)

[4] “Plug pulled on Whitecaps $31-million Delta training centre plans”, Vancouver Sun, January 2010

Advertisement