An open letter to MP-elect Dianne Watts.
I look forward to having you represent us in Ottawa with the same vigour and success as you showed during your great tenure as mayor of Surrey.
As the new rep for our Semiahmoo communities, I’d appreciate knowing your position on rail relocation. We know you lobbied for relocation a few years back when still mayor, however this is a new era for you. Unfortunately, you were unable to make the all-candidates debate on the topic (Rail relocation a popular view, Oct. 9), so we did not hear your current stand.
As a South Surrey resident of 25 years, I grow more concerned as extremely hazardous goods roll along our beautiful waterfront under a highly unstable bluff famous for sliding through the stormy season. The trains are more frequent, heavier and longer and the content more toxic – the chlorine and hydrochloric acid cars are nasty but the ever-increasing crude-oil trains are the worst – making the possibility of disaster very real. Another Lac-Mégantic could happen here in a heartbeat.
I am one of the most optimistic people you will meet, but the odds are not stacking up in our favour.
Almost all of your fellow candidates were in favour of track relocation away from the waterfront, and committed to working on this immediately and emphatically.
I think all of your concerned constituents would like to know what the next steps will be to ensure the safety of all who live and play in the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
Mountains of work has been done – we need a strong representative to take our situation to Ottawa and fight to get it done. We look forward to your reply.
Gail Terry, Surrey
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Editor:
I watched with interest as the votes were tallied in my riding in this federal election, because I’d held my nose when I voted in order to support the Liberal candidate because the polls had put her at 69 per cent in the lead.
I have been a member of the NDP all my voting life but decided I would vote strategically in an attempt to remove the Conservative control of the seat in the South Surrey-White Rock riding.
Unfortunately, that did not happen.
What did happen was a strong message to candidate Dianne Watts that this was not a shoo-in by any means.
Your constituents are very split, Ms. Watts, so you should not by any stretch of the imagination believe you have a strong mandate to only answer to those with Conservative ideals and values.
You should be prepared to go to Parliament with the idea of co-operation and the trust that Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau sees us all as Canadians and that all our concerns dealt with in a fair and equitable manner.
Oh, and thanks for not returning my call…
Gordon Fletcher, Surrey
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Dianne Watts must now prove she is worthy of the 24,934 residents who have put their faith in her.
She in turn, must not lose sight of the fact that 31,697 residents of South Surrey/White Rock did not vote in her favour.
The difference between the Conservative and Liberal candidates was only a narrow enough margin of 1,439.
Fran Manary, Surrey
