My Mom's Retirement

My Mom retires today after many years of working as a nurse. Pictures of her retirement party are here.



Congratulations Mom!!

Valentine's Cake

Gillian and I made a heart shaped cake for Valentine's day. Aren't we cute?!!

Sunday crack-up

This flash song had me rolling with laughter. I think someone really has too much time on their hands!

And I can't resist linking to this crazy cute dog , or these crazy cute kittens. All from the Cute Overload blog.

Cool Videos

Today being a nasty, rainy day, I spent quite a bit of time surfing this cool website.

Here are my favourite links from this site:

• Jib Jab's 205 Year in Review (staring George W)
  
• Taco Town (SNL)
  
• Lazy Sunday & Narnia (SNL)
  
• Washington Mutual Ad
  
• Dr Pepper: You Can't Do That
  

Vancouver Gateway Project

This last week Gordon Campbell announced the long hinted at "Gateway Program" for the Greater Vancouver area. This program is a large scale highway improvement project which includes:

• Widen Highway 1 all the way from McGill (by the Second Narrows Bridge) to Langley. This includes twinning the Port Mann bridge from the current 5 lanes to 10 lanes.
• North Fraser Perimiter Road improvements, including replacing the Pitt River bridge, and upgrading the Mary Hill bypass.
• Adding a new South Fraser perimiter road.
  

For the provincial government's perspective on this project, there's this lovely video.

The GVRD has long had issues with this project, including the motion from Oct 1, 2004

“That the GVRD Board express its concerns with the province’s unilateral approach to regional transportation planning and urge the province to return to a regional transportation planning process that involves the collaboration of municipalities, the GVRD, the GVTA and the province.”

Two of the most telling questions asked by the GVRD to the province include:

• “Based on what evidence will twinning the Port Mann Bridge and widening the #1 freeway solve the congestion problem?”
• “How does this project fit with the priorities in TransLink’s Strategic Transportation Plan, the GVRD Livable Region Strategic Plan, the GVRD Sustainable Region Initiative, the Vancouver City Transportation Plan and the Vancouver Climate Change Action Plan?”

My take on all this is that the province is trying to go completely around the GVRD, Translink, and all the regional municipalities and push through their own agenda of "bigger is better". I think that the Livable Region Strategic Plan - which pushes for regional centers and less automobile use - is being completely trounced upon by the province.

Even the province acknowledges some of the problems associated with this "bigger is better" approach (but for some strange reason they still want to go through with it):

If the improved highway is not effectively managed through tolls and/or other congestion-reduction measures, analysis shows that it would reach current levels of congestion 5 to 10 years after project completion. Additionally, without these measures, the level of congestion in the corridor would make it difficult to offer improved transit services along the route.

Strangely enough, the province hasn't even appointed any board members to Translink (they are allowed 3) - wouldn't using Translink be a more appropriate way to bring this project forward?

The province is doing some public consultation. I know I will try to be at one or more of these:

• Feb 18 2006: Langley (10am-1pm @ Walnut Grove Community Centre)
• Feb 25 2006: New Westminister (10am-1pm @ Centennial Community Centre)
• March 4 2006: Burnaby (10am-1pm @ Eight Rinks)
• March 8 2006: Burnaby (6pm-9pm @ Bonsor Recreation Centre)
• March 25 2006: Vancouver (10am-1pm @ Hastings Community Centre)
• March 29 2006: Vancouver (6pm-9pm @ Roundhouse Community Centre)
• April 8 2006: Surrey (10am-1pm @ Guildford Recreation Centre)
• April 11 2006: Surrey (6pm-9pm @ North Surrey Arena)
• April 22 2006: Coquitlam (10:30am-1:30pm @ Coquitlam Library, Poirier Branch)
• April 25 2006: Coquitlam (6pm-9pm @ Planet Ice)
• April 29 2006: Abbotsford (11:30-2:30pm @ Abbotsford Recreation Centre)