MENTION traffic to any local resident in conversation and within seconds the Sande Overpass or rather, lack of a second unimpeded crossing of CN’s tracks will spill out.
The topic has consumed Terrace city council for years. Teased, as it were, with the promise of federal and CN money in the last decade for the construction of another crossing only to have that hope dashed when CN decided the amount of train traffic didn’t warrant its construction.
With no money of its own, Terrace council found itself out of luck with no effective strategy to guide it to success.
Until now – and we can thank Toronto mayor Rob Ford who, despite his public persona of being slightly goofy, has turned out to be one sharp guy. That’s because he’s getting a cheque from the federal government for $662 million to help build a new subway system.
When asked at a press conference how the federal government so easily wrote out the cheque, finance minister Jim Flaherty replied: “Because the mayor wrote to us and asked.”
Who knew it could be so easy?
And that should be enough for city council to place fingers on keyboard beginning with:
The Honourable Jim Flaherty,
Minister of Finance
Dear Sir:
We were watching the TV news ...