Now if you listen to some local officials, you would get the sense that the Stickle Road issue is over and the public has moved on.
“We’ve addressed all of the things asked for by the businesses and residents which was safety,” said MLA Eric Foster during a recent interview.
“We have come a long ways from where the ministry started. I think people will be happy when it’s done.”
Akbal Mund, Vernon’s mayor, has been clear that he will accept the Ministry of Transportation’s plan because the agency is unwilling to install a traffic signal.
“Sometimes you have to come to a compromise instead of fighting,” he said.
Obviously, though, many residents haven’t got the message to raise the white flag.
Between July 22 and today, The Morning Star has ran 17 letters to the editor specifically dealing with Stickle Road (virtually all are from distinct individuals and not repeat writers). There are also another 18 sitting in the queue and new ones continue to pour in almost daily.
If you were to go back over the last couple of years, hundreds of letters have been submitted to the paper — making Stickle Road probably the most popular topic to grace A9.
There are a few in favour of the ministry’s proposal to block left-hand turns on to the highway and to create a new connector road into Vernon, but the vast majority — I would guess about 90 to 95 per cent — are demanding a traffic signal.
Many are also incensed with the process followed by the ministry and the actions of Foster and Mund.
“What it did get was unwavering support from both our MLA and our mayor, but virtually none from the people these two individuals represent, and none from Vernon city councillors either. Something seems wrong with this picture,” wrote resident Christian Sjonnesen.
Or there was the letter from Duane Mather, who said, “The elected officials’ job is to provide fiduciary oversight and leadership to the bureaucrats, not to roll over and capitulate to their arrogance. Unfortunately, we can only deal with elected officials’ arrogance during elections and the bureaucrats who are supposedly under their control. So if they continue to bulldoze their solution through the process, that can only be dealt with in the future.”
In June, Foster stated that he is receiving positive comments from residents calling his office or speaking to him.
“These are the thousands of people who travel the highway every day,” he said.
It would be interesting to see those numbers — how many people have contacted Foster’s office in favour of the ministry’s proposal. It would also be worth looking at the amount of phone calls and e-mails opposed to the plan.
Now generally, the public or media have to go through a lengthy Freedom of Information process to access government-related documents. But in the interest of transparency, hopefully Foster would just make the information available. We’re not asking to see the actual letters because that would be an invasion of privacy, but a total of those for and against would be appreciated.
But even if those details do come from the MLA’s office, it’s very clear from the letters to the editor rolling into the paper, that the issue of Stickle Road is far from settled.
And I anticipate residents will continue to have their say.