2241 replies to this topic

[Hotel Mike]

Maybe this will all be rendered moot with the advent of flying cars.

[Matt R.]

I moved here for money, mostly!

Matt.

[Bingo]

There will never be a bridge built to any Gulf Island - for any purpose.

 

There is a road bridge between North Pender and South Pender that has been there for at least 40 years.

[LJ]

Pretty much every single resident Gulf Islander would lay their bodies down under threat of death to stop any sort of bridge construction.

A bridge (any bridge) is the antithesis of why Gulf Islanders moved to the Islands in the first place.

 

 

But they do like their subsidized ferries. Maybe if you made them pay what it costs to provide ferry service to them, a few of them would pick their bodies up and help build it.

[On the Level]

But they do like their subsidized ferries. Maybe if you made them pay what it costs to provide ferry service to them, a few of them would pick their bodies up and help build it.

 

Or do away with BC Ferries as it was when I was a kid.  They did far better.

[On the Level]

There is a road bridge between North Pender and South Pender that has been there for at least 40 years.

 

Fair enough...but that's a two lane wooden bridge so one Pender family can join another. 

 

I'm sure if we promoted a highway through Fairfield we'd see the same reaction as we would see from Saltspring.

[Cassidy]

There is a road bridge between North Pender and South Pender that has been there for at least 40 years.

Indeed ... 20 metre long wood bridge across a tiny inlet.

 

Not really what we're talking about ... but technically you're correct in that it is a bridge between two Gulf Islands ... but not sure it solves the Malahat issue?

 

https://www.google.c...0!7i8704!8i4352

Edited by Cassidy, 28 October 2018 - 11:22 PM.

[G-Man]

It wouldn't be that major a bridge between Crofton and Salt Spring or maybe a little north of there. 

[Nparker]

It wouldn't be that major a bridge between Crofton and Salt Spring... 

Physically, it would not; psychologically, it would be enormous.

[FogPub]

I'm not talking about a bridge from Vancouver Island to any of the gulf islands.  I'm talking about bridges connecting more of the islands themselves together, where it makes sense, such that one ferry dock can service more than one island.  The North-South Pender bridge is an example.

 

What would it take to put a bridge over Active Pass, for example, to connect Mayne and Galiano together?  Thetis and Kuper Islands (or are they already connected? I can't remember)?  Gabriola-Valdes?  Etc.

[Cassidy]

No bridge between Thetis and Penelakut, although you can walk across a low tide, and some folks do drive on the beach when the tide is out. But the ferry to Thetis always makes the two minute side trip to Penelakut as well (BTW Kuper is the old, now unused residential school name for the island, politically incorrect and carrying with it the despicable history of one of the worst residential schools in Canada).

 

150 million dollars for a bridge between Gabriola and Valdes probably won't fly, as hardly anybody lives on Valdes. There's no current ferry service to Valdes, and there's no B.C. Hydro on Valdes ... in other words Valdes is where you go when the zombie apocalypse hits.

 

Bottom line is that, for the number of residents who live on the various islands, and the hundreds of millions of dollars that a bridge (or bridges) would cost ... a reasonably dependable ferry service is the most economical solution, and makes the most business sense by far.

[North Shore]

The Penelakuts might not *want* a bridge to Thetis, also?

 

Saturna - Samuel - Mayne might make sense...no need for any further ferry service/dock maintenance.  Over the long run that would add up, no?

 

As might SaltSpring - Vancouver Island in Samsun Narrows (just south of Maple Bay).  No more Crofton-Vesuvius, or Swartz-Fulford..

[Bernard]

I'm not talking about a bridge from Vancouver Island to any of the gulf islands.  I'm talking about bridges connecting more of the islands themselves together, where it makes sense, such that one ferry dock can service more than one island.  The North-South Pender bridge is an example.

 

What would it take to put a bridge over Active Pass, for example, to connect Mayne and Galiano together?  Thetis and Kuper Islands (or are they already connected? I can't remember)?  Gabriola-Valdes?  Etc.

I think the only realistic bridge would be Saturna to Mayne Island via Samuel Island   The bridge to Samuel from Saturna would only need to be about 80 meters and the Samuel to Mayne bridge would be about 350 to 400 meters.  Both bridges can be low and use pilings into the water.    I personally think this would make the most sense of any bridge because it gets rid of a 13 km ferry route to serve a very small population.   It would also make businesses, the school and other services on Mayne that much more viable

 

The shortest distance over Active Pass would be 600 meters and would have to be high enough to allow ships to pass under it, I would suspect a bridge that size would be way too expensive            

 

Salt Spring to the Vancouver Island the shortest bridge would be close to a kilometre.   There is a spot on the remote part of the west side where it could be as short as 600 meters but would require a lot of road upgrades to make it happen

 

Valdes to Gabriola would only take a 180 meter bridge.   Gariola to Vancouver Island via Mudge Island would require a bridge of 225 meters and then 120 meters.   It has often been discussed but always been opposed

[Bingo]

I think the only realistic bridge would be Saturna to Mayne Island via Samuel Island   The bridge to Samuel from Saturna would only need to be about 80 meters and the Samuel to Mayne bridge would be about 350 to 400 meters.  Both bridges can be low and use pilings into the water.    I personally think this would make the most sense of any bridge because it gets rid of a 13 km ferry route to serve a very small population.   It would also make businesses, the school and other services on Mayne that much more viable

 

The shortest distance over Active Pass would be 600 meters and would have to be high enough to allow ships to pass under it, I would suspect a bridge that size would be way too expensive            

 

Salt Spring to the Vancouver Island the shortest bridge would be close to a kilometre.   There is a spot on the remote part of the west side where it could be as short as 600 meters but would require a lot of road upgrades to make it happen

 

Valdes to Gabriola would only take a 180 meter bridge.   Gariola to Vancouver Island via Mudge Island would require a bridge of 225 meters and then 120 meters.   It has often been discussed but always been opposed

 

This is a hellava long alternative to the Malahat...I'll take the Port Renfrew short cut and avoid all the toll bridges.

[Nparker]

This is a helluva long alternative to the Malahat...I'll take the Port Renfrew short cut and avoid all the toll bridges.

Nice to see someone making an effort to get this thread back on topic.

[shoeflack]

It wouldn't be that major a bridge between Crofton and Salt Spring or maybe a little north of there. 

 

Physically, it would not; psychologically, it would be enormous.

 

And would skyrocket the population on Salt Spring as well. I think that's the biggest concern. As it stands, there is a huge barrier to living on Salt Spring while working in Cowichan; the ferry. You cut that out and all of the sudden it becomes a much more desirable place to live for people who work in Cowichan. Salt Spring is currently less a suburb and more its own community, but with direct access to Cowichan (or the CRD) and it becomes another suburb. This is the same reason why there is such staunch opposition for a bridge to Gabriola from Nanaimo...it makes Gabriola an instant suburb.

[Bingo]

And would skyrocket the population on Salt Spring as well. I think that's the biggest concern. As it stands, there is a huge barrier to living on Salt Spring while working in Cowichan; the ferry. You cut that out and all of the sudden it becomes a much more desirable place to live for people who work in Cowichan. Salt Spring is currently less a suburb and more its own community, but with direct access to Cowichan (or the CRD) and it becomes another suburb. 

 

Why would anyone living on Saltspring want to work in Cowichan or Victoria? 

[Bingo]

No bridge between Thetis and Penelakut, although you can walk across a low tide, and some folks do drive on the beach when the tide is out. But the ferry to Thetis always makes the two minute side trip to Penelakut as well (BTW Kuper is the old, now unused residential school name for the island, politically incorrect and carrying with it the despicable history of one of the worst residential schools in Canada).

 

150 million dollars for a bridge between Gabriola and Valdes probably won't fly, as hardly anybody lives on Valdes. There's no current ferry service to Valdes, and there's no B.C. Hydro on Valdes ... in other words Valdes is where you go when the zombie apocalypse hits.

 

Bottom line is that, for the number of residents who live on the various islands, and the hundreds of millions of dollars that a bridge (or bridges) would cost ... a reasonably dependable ferry service is the most economical solution, and makes the most business sense by far.

 

Just a dang minute here, we are talking about an alternate route to taking the Malahat, and Thetis to Penelakut does factor into the equation especially if your car breaks down on the mudflats when the tide is out and you have to walk only to find out your gumboots are at home.

[Matt R.]

The reason more people don’t live on salt spring is water. You can’t get it so you can’t build.

Matt.

[Matt R.]

Why would anyone living on Saltspring want to work in Cowichan or Victoria?

Because salt spring is a nice place to live, housing is cheaper, and there aren’t a lot of great jobs. There are many, many people who commute to Victoria and Duncan during the work week.

Matt.