I understand that Transportation Minister Claire Trevena believes there was public input that supports the decision to keep the Kootenay Lake ferry terminal in Balfour. Unfortunately there was not. No meetings were held on the East Shore until the decision was already made.
We have repeatedly tried to have our voices heard and we are ignored. What will it take? An SNC-Lavalin report determined the move to Queens Bay was a long-term solution that would save money and was better for the environment. How much did this report cost taxpayers?
Further we feel we were politically hijacked by a few residents who maintained “not in my yard” and a few businesses that gain from long ferry waits. How can we be heard? Twenty five hundred signatures ignored. Countless letters and phone calls ignored. I am asking what the democratic process is.
This is a health and safety issue. Beyond, this is a democratic issue. There needs to be an investigation of this decision making process, the RDCK grant money obtained by the Balfour–Queens Bay group, and the absence of meetings on the East Shore with the people that use the ferry.
Please be assured this is not just about the East Shore users but the thousands upon thousands of users from all over the world. This is about the health of the lake. Dredging is not the answer. Moving the ferry is.
Danielle Rogers
Riondel