This week, North Coast MLA Gary Coons was asking ministers tough questions about the status of the Tsimshian Peninsula Fixed Link Project. The project, which has been in the works for several years now, has not been treated with the importance it deserves, according to Coons.
“The Mayor of Prince Rupert, Herb Pond, has called this infrastructure investment ‘too practical to ignore,’ and I think he is correct,” Coons wrote to Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen, and Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon. “The outlying villages in the Tsimshian Peninsula need a reliable transportation corridor if economic development is ever going to become a reality in this area.”
Originally, the proposal was to construct bridges to link Kaien Island, Digby Island and the Tsimshian Peninsula, connecting the City of Prince Rupert with the airport and several native villages.
“Aside from promoting development in First Nations communities, this project would make our airport more viable, thus supporting the trade infrastructure brought in by our port,” Coons noted. “As I have repeatedly stated in the house and to various ministers, if we want a world class port, we need to have upgrades to the rest of our infrastructure, including the transportation links that serve our airport.”
A memorandum of understanding covering the design process has been completed by the provincial and federal governments, the City of Prince Rupert and two native bands.
“A fixed-link integrated transportation system can serve as a further catalyst for the transformation of Lax Kw’alaams, Metlakatla and Prince Rupert into an economically self-reliant and socially vibrant region,” said Coons, “and as such, this project ought to be a high priority for the government.”