Sukh Dhaliwal consults North Delta residents on transportation issues and joins Delta City Council in planning for the future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(NORTH DELTA) Last Wednesday evening, Member of Parliament for Newton North Delta, Sukh Dhaliwal, held a public forum at the Sunbury Hall and listened to hundreds of residents regarding their concerns on the region’s most pressing transportation issues.

This gathering was prompted in cooperation with Mayor Lois Jackson and Delta City Council, who had invited all local elected representatives to attend a transportation-themed council meeting back on January 15.

“It became apparent to me that all of us assembled at that meeting in January were encountering the same kinds of responses, regardless of which level of government we were a part of” said Dhaliwal before commencing the forum.

Top among the issues are that emerged in discussion was the construction of South Fraser Perimeter Road and the expansion of Delta’s container terminal as part of the Pacific Gateway strategy. The amalgamation of the Lower Mainland’s three port corporations into one entity was also an issue that garnered great interest from constituents, as was the potential impacts of increased road and marine traffic on the environment, property values and overall quality of life.

“The kind of interest generated at the meeting last week only confirms my earlier calls to initiate a broader, non-partisan forum so that all levels of government can hear directly from the people of North Delta” said Dhaliwal. “Finding collaborative solutions necessitates that we refuse to work in isolation so that North Delta residents can address all of us together at the same time.”

“Canada’s cities are its economic lifeblood, and we must be very strategic and focused in the way that we invest in our municipal infrastructure. The decisions we make today will set the course for the next 50 years.”

There was a common consensus in the room that this kind of an exchange of ideas has to replace the frustration that residents have felt with little to no previous consultation. Sukh Dhaliwal has promised to take these issues to the appropriate jurisdictions on behalf of his constituents and to see that he works as a catalyst for greater communications and cooperation.

“There are a number of actionable items that I can now address with the municipal and provincial governments, as well as the federal Ministers of Transportation, Environment and the Pacific Gateway in Ottawa. I intend making our voices heard,” concluded Dhaliwal.

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Media contact:
Kyle Harrietha
613-266-9859
Dhalis7@parl.gc.ca