Frankly Speaking

Photo from Fraser Surrey Docks website It seems unlikely that a coal export facility will ever be built at Fraser Surrey Docks, given the recent global agreement on how to reduce carbon emissions and China`s stated objective of reducing the amount of coal it burns to provide electricity. Canada is among the 195 countries signing on to a worldwide plan to reduce carbon emissions, and attempt to keep global temperatures from rising. The accord, reached in Paris after two weeks of intensive talks, calls for significant reductions in emissions from coal, natural gas and oil. It also calls for preservation and replanting of forests, transparency and regular five-year reviews of how countries are progressing, and an unspecified but significant subsidy from richer countries to poorer ones. The new federal Liberal government wants to move forward and have an implementation plan in place, together with the provinces, in 90 days. Thus this accord will have a very significant eff...

Frank Bucholtz photo The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway hosts a wide variety of trains on its line through White Rock, including this special passenger train operated for Dennis and Phyllis Washington and their guests, which travelled through in July 2014. The Washingtons' company, The Washington Group, owns Montana Rail Link, Southern Railway of B.C. and Seaspan International, among other companies. A proposed $700,000 technical study to look into moving the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks from the White Rock and South Surrey waterfront to a new alignment is an early indicator of how costly this idea is. Municipal politicians are already trying to shift the cost onto their neighbours. Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner says that White Rock should foot a significant portion of the cost, while beleaguered White Rock taxpayers likely think Surrey should pay for all but the consultant’s last cup of coffee. A move could benefit the waterfront residents of both communit...