Opinion Pat Bay Highway upgrade: Too long for real improvement Concrete median barriers will soon be installed in the middle of the Pat Bay Highway as it proceeds down Moss Hill to the Island View Road intersection. That short-term safety improvement is among several to be put in place in the Central Saanich portion of the highway. Some people think it’s the best we can hope for because of a moratorium placed on major highway upgrading, pending a study by a Capital Regional District committee. Looking back a couple years to former transportation minister Rita Johnston’s announcement that the Pat Bay would be upgraded to freeway status, and comparing that to today’s safety improvements, leaves us with the impression that the situation will be worse instead of better Johnston’s first announcement was followed by another just weeks later Because of pressure by local councils and community groups, the upgrade was downgraded to expre- ssway standard from the higher freeway standard. At expressway standard, a major highway may have some level crossings, allowing traffic to move without the use of a separated grade intersection, an interchange. Level crossings are not allowed on freeways, eliminating access to feeder roads, including driveways to homes and businesses. Concrete centre medians are used to separate lanes of traffic flowing in different directions. But they do more than that. Concrete medians also provide the driver with a sense of security. In this case, we believe a false sense of security is created by the installation of concrete medians for north- bound traffic approaching Island View. The highway intersection at the bottom of the valley will remain controlled by signal lights. Approaching those lights is highway-speed traffic seemingly secure in the knowledge that cross-traffic cannot enter the highway. The same applies for southbound traffic. After cresting the hill, motorists will be faced with slow-moving traffic entering the highway from Tanner and Martindale roads. Also, a greater danger remains for traffic leaving the highway northbound, tuming west onto Keating Crossroad. The municipal council in Central Saanich has made it clear, with recent motions, what the preference is. Council said that the safety improvements will be reviewed after one year and that, should there be no improvement after the closure of East Saanich Road access to the highway, council would request that the separated-grade interchange proposed at Island View be brought to the construction stage. Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Art Charbonneau is number crunching in preparation for his capital budget. Last week Charbonneau said money earmarked for the Island Highway Project that is not used because of the moratorium will be used elsewhere. Money for real improvements could be as far as five years away. That’s too long for Peninsula motorists to endure an unsafe transportation environment. Volume 80 Issue No. 2 TheReview Wednesday, January 8,1992 — AG — iy s : THE GOOD NES IS THAT SUENCE HAS DISCOVERED A SUBSTANCE THAT CURES CANCER, HEADACHES, HEPATITIS, FLATULENCE AND ACNE. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE PLANTS FROM WHICA J HE SUBSTANCE IS TAKEN ARE Now EXTINCT DUE To FOREST CLEAR-COTTING... | ITT CNT TT NTT DIABETES, FLu, Letiers to the editor on issues of concern to our readers are welcomed by The Review. All letters must be addressed to the editor and bear an original signature of the letter writer. Letters must contain the letter writer's street address and telephone number for verification purposes and not for publication. Letter should not exceed 300 words in length and may be edited for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. ™* Review Serving the Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 - First St. P.O. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C. V8L3C9 Sidney, B.C. V8L3S5 656-1151 Publisher: Rory McGrath Editor: Glenn Werkman Reporters: Valorie Lennox Advertising: Brian Wyatt Girard Hengen Corrie Morozoff Production Manager: Tamie Sargeant Office Manager: Lori Fitzpatrick Circulation Manager: Wendy Denison ii BCYCNA MEDIAN COMp U 3 ———— Scr >. BRITISH COLUMBIA ~ & KS AND YUKON So. G@cna Rp y COMMUNITY. ey NSE arin NEWSPAPERS ST SASS eS ASSOCIATION wat PAPERS CO) Sa = CONTROLLED Preserve the past Editor: Credit and appreciation should be given to the planning commit- tee of the Saanich Pioneer Society as well as to the Association for the Protection of Rural Central Saanich. Members of these groups work diligently to monitor and preserve our history and country lifestyle. There can be little dispute that developers are interested only in the highest monetary return for property and have only superficial concems in maintaining the coun- try atmosphere as council and law dictates. The Saanich Fair grounds house the old historic hall and log cabin dating back to 1868. This annual fall fair has been continuously on this site for over a hundred years. In 1991, this agricultural fair attracted in excess of 70,000 peo- ple. Unfortunately the site has been sold to developers. The pioneer society has requested the hall, log cabin and surrounding precinct be preserved. Saanichton needs a community centre and upgrading this hall will supply an excellent centre, plus retain our heritage. A recent story about a high-tech map that shows the Island’s old growth forests vanishing is evi- dence of the dire consequences of apathy. One picture is worth a thousand words. Let the Central Saanich area keep it’s past while integrating with the present for future genera- tions. Margaret J. Jestico Saanichton Pisces demise blow to Wesi Editor: Re: Pisces Mother — The Pan- dora II. I read with more than a little sadness, Valorie Lennox’s story on the Pisces mini-sub leaving for Halifax (Mini-sub leaves, The Review, Dec. 24), having been associated with the Pisces mother- ship, Pandora II for 17 years now — first as the overseer for her building, then sailing her as Chief Engineer, followed by 14 years as ship manager. I was closely involved with all the excellent work done by sub and ship working together in the Pacific, Arctic, Atlantic and Carib- bean. I also came to see all the injustices and inefficiencies of the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans along the way. Con- sider these facts, if you will, and draw your own conclusions: The M.V. Pandora and Pisces carried out over 1,500 safe dives without incident over a 12-year period. Instead of being rewarded, both crews were, in effect, dismis- sed by Fisheries and Oceans. The M.Y. Pandora II was the first private ship to navigate the North West Passage and go on to circumnavigate North America in 1975 and she did so with the Pisces aboard. The Canadian Navy hasn’t a single ship capable of doing that, let alone their submers- ible ship, yet the Pandora is dis- missed. The Pandora operated for 12 years without loss of a single day’s charter due to breakdown, crew problems or anything else. No government ship can match that record. ce The Pandora operated with half the crew and approximately half the cost of a government ship to do the same types of missions. In fact, the Navy’s submersible support ship, the Cormorant, has three- and-a-half times the number of crew the Pandora has. Furthermore, the year Fisheries and Oceans canceled the Pandora II contract, they were also looking at chartering another submersible support ship being modified in South America under a Scientific Tax Credit scam, until someone blew the whistle on that one. In addition, Fisheries and Oceans had just finished spending in excess of $30 million for their latest research ship on this coast — a ship we in the private sector offered to build for them at $15 million. Indeed, we even offered to sell the Pandora back to them for $3 million (one-tenth of their cost for a new ship) when they said they had to cancel our little contract because of ““budget constraints.” The only budget constraint Fisher- eis and Oceans ever exercised was against the private sector, as far as - I can see. ; : The public might well ask their Ottawa representatives why. they now need two deep-water subs on the East Coast and none of the West Coast. Are we on the West coast any less important in Ocean matters? It would seem so. we | Finally, I want to point out that - the Pandora still has 20 to 30 years life left in her, but lies idle in ~~ Victoria’s inner harbor through lack of work and lack of interest by all levels of government in marine matters on this coast. Little wonder to me that Canada is galloping down the road to economic ruin with decisions like we've seen on this issue coming out of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. Frankly, I think they should all be fired and we'll take back control of our Fisheries and Oceans on this coast, and let them look after the Rideau Canal. They might understand that better. C. Robert Ward Consulting marine engineer Sidney The plight of a condominium Editor: We often hear about the good salt air we breathe on Vancouver Island. However, this does not apply to the hallways of apart- ments or condominiums in many of these buildings. Many years ago it was well known in apartments to have cook- ing and other obnoxious odors drifting into the common hallways from the apartments. A decision was made by some apartment owners to install a pre- ssurized air system with continu- ous fan operation to prevent this obnoxious gas from drifting into Continued on Page A8 2