We hit 36,000 signatures!
We hit 35,000 signatures 6 days ago, and now we’ve blasted past that to over 36,100! Amazing!!! Promoting, sharing, and talking about it with friends and family will get the word out and help continue building a movement that just can’t be ignored.
The two-month countdown is on!
There are only 56 days left to use the $18 million made available to First Nations and Regional Districts for the purpose of developing a shared vision for the rail corridor. Established in 2023, the fund was extended 1 year in 2024. I’m hoping to see the establishment of the $1 billion budget we’ve been advocating for. With that we could see planning move quickly and have passenger trains running in no time!
The congestion countdown continues
The previous South Island Transportation Strategy showed unpredictable travel times from Mill Bay to Victoria. Commutes were predicted to gradually go from between 43 minutes on a good day and 66 minutes on a bad day in 2019, to 87 minutes on a good day and 144 minutes on a bad day by 2038. They took the prediction out in the newest South Island Transportation Strategy, probably because our population grew faster and congestion became worse than they thought it would. The Malahat is not the only location along the rail corridor with worsening traffic congestion. Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Highway 4 to Port Alberni are all experiencing horrible traffic. We need a way around it all, and the railway is the only attractive, practical, efficient, and sustainable option on Vancouver Island.
Where is the Minister of Transportation and Transit?
With the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations signing the Reconciliation Corridor Agreement in December, and the Liberal MP’s Stephanie Mclean and Will Greaves reporting significant progress in the CRD saying “it would be normal to have a federal funding component for a project of this size”, where is the BC Minister? We haven’t heard a peep from Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. Will BC help fund it?
Take Action! Ask him to join the “Reconciliation Corridor” table and give it the attention it deserves and his support, and funding! TT.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Thanks for standing strong for Island Rail.
All Aboard!
Warren Skaalrud,
Petitioner,
Founder and President,
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