Dear Editor,
The following letter was sent to The Honourable Jati Sidhu, MP for Mission-Matsui-Fraser Canyon.
I am one of your constituents. I live in Ashcroft and have been here for 60 years. I have a big concern about the $13 billion price tag to fix and maintain water infrastructure in BC. I don’t know what it is for the other provinces.
We are told to cut wasteful spending and live within our means. Now we are told that we have to go in debt for 30 years to pay for a water plant that we don’t need. I don’t know if you are aware that the previous federal government gave the Village of Ashcroft a grant, and along with the provincial government grant made up $5.7 million. The people of Ashcroft have been asked to borrow their share of $4.1 million for 30 years. I don’t see any need for this.
I think the $13 billion dollars is a big big scam. Some 4,700 so-called professionals set their target at $13 billion and then set up the BC Water and Waste Association to promote projects to achieve this. We are only small fry, but every little bit helps them achieve their goal. Why I think this is a scam: because most scammers use fear as a motivator. People will do weird things when scared.
I could be wrong. Scare tactics are being used to convince local and government officials to carry out this scam. Because the Federal Government has issued a grant, maybe the new Federal government should revisit this project. Also, would it be possible for you to check why the Chairperson on the BCWWA is none other than a principal with the Vancouver office of Urban Systems. Urban Systems has the contract to build this nearly $10 million plant in Ashcroft. I see this as a conflict of interest.
I would like to add that if we have to spend $10 million for a filter plant that will service about 800 households, how big is the filter plant that the city of Vancouver has to have? Or have they not been targeted by the scammers yet? All this seems to have started because of the Walkerton, Ontario accident.
Thanks for your concern.
Charles Winslow
Ashcroft
