I am not surprised that the rump group of Saanich councilors voted to put the brakes on the McKenzie interchange. Instead of working with the province to mitigate the effect of the potential impact on the park they decided to poke the province in the eye.
The mayor correctly stated that there was time to work out a solution in that the shovels hadn’t been put in the ground. Even Leif Wergeland and Susan Brice voted against the proposal.
I believe Minister of Transportation Todd Stone was right to say the project will move forward and was surprised since they had just met with Saanich staff on the issue of mitigation. It seems that some council members are out of touch or didn’t bother to find out what Saanich staff is doing.
Being a council member should be more than just showing up at council meetings and pandering to the last loudest voice. Their vote reminds me of a U.S. Army quote: “Prior planning prevents poor performance.” It is evident they had no idea that staff had already covered potential mitigation.
The interchange is long overdue and there will never be a plan that satisfies everyone.
Chris Sheldon
Saanich