It’s time for Vernon’s mayor to reconsider his stance on Stickle Road.
While Akbal Mund has been willing to accept the Ministry of Transportation’s plan at the dangerous intersection, every other member of city council has come out against blocking left turns on to Highway 97 and extending 20th Street with a one-way route into Vernon.
Now Mund has criticized his colleagues by saying that they haven’t been at meetings with the ministry. And while that may be true, the reality is they have had access to the data provided by the ministry, and are able to form an opinion without one-on-one encounters with bureaucrats. More importantly, they have been receiving numerous calls and e-mails from the public upset over what’s happening at Stickle.
Yes, the ministry is opposed to a light, but that doesn’t mean Mund or regional district director Bob Fleming have to raise the white flag and give up the fight. Their job, as local officials, is to represent their constituents’ interests even if it goes completely against what senior government wants.
If all community leaders stand with the businesses and residents, then hopefully pressure can be placed on the ministry and MLA Eric Foster to back off this ill-conceived strategy.
But if Mund remains out of step with his council, the ministry will take advantage of that rift and press ahead with an extremely unpopular plan.