Meeting with Minister of Transportation, Parliament buildings, Victoria, BC
Thursday, March 29 2012
In Attendance:
Blair Lekstrom Minister of Transportation
Scott Fraser MLA, Alberni Pacific Rim
Dave Duncan Assistant Deputy Minister
Kirsten Pedersen District Manager, Vancouver Island
Executive Director, Strategic Priorities
Elaine Peligren President C.M.R.A.
Gerry Anderson V.P. C.M.R.A.
Ramona Jones Secretary C.M.R.A
Dave Jones Information Officer C.M.R.A
Tim Peligren Information Officer C.M.R.A
CMRA discussed recent approval of Meadowood community park grant as one indication of growth in our area. Our number of mailboxes has increased from 738 in spring 2010 to 906 in September 2011. We believe in a win/win policy where the vast majority of people represented at this meeting will benefit from access onto Highway 19.
Minister Blair Lekstrom was prepared to reject our plan to build the interchange at Corcan and Nahmint regardless of merit, because there is no extra money in the provincial budget for our proposal.
He had never been approached by a community group that has majority support for a toll highway, new interchange and a village center concept, or a group that will look to raise 100 percent of the costs to construct and manage the interchange without raising property taxes.
Minister Lekstrom said he would direct his staff to meet with CMRA Executive to see if it is possible to agree in principle to build the interchange at Corcan and Nahmint.
Our association looks forward to working with Ministry staff in putting together a package that will produce an Agreement in Principal to design and build the New Interchange at Nahmint and Corcan onto Highway 19.