Dear Editor:I totally agree with the letter from Linda J. Shaw in the Burnaby Now, on Friday, Sept. 8 (Density has no place on busy bottleneck route). Linda describes the severe increase in traffic on Canada Way that will come with the completion of the townhouses being built on Claude Avenue, which runs parallel to Canada Way. Canada Way already backs up to get onto the freeway, especially when the bus stops in the right lane near Sperling. Claude Avenue traffic will funnel into Canada Way just before the bus stop!
The city is keen on increasing density but hasn’t always included the need for the infrastructure to support its big plans. Our municipal government seems more interested in having developers funnelling money into their billion-plus surplus account than in making Burnaby a better and affordable place to live.
Each and every one of the mayor and councillors have lived in Burnaby for many years. I assume they all own their own homes. But what about the current and former Burnaby residents who can’t afford to buy a house or expensive condo? Burnaby is lagging behind its neighbours when it comes to creating purpose-built market rental and social housing. Accordingto Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. data, Burnaby has seen a net loss of purpose-built market rental housing.
I am so weary of Mayor Corrigan always passing the buck by insisting that it is the provincial and federal governments that are totally responsible for rental units. Other municipalities are also trying to make their cities more affordable by allowing options like laneway houses. Burnaby only allows single-family dwellings or duplexes.
I challenge our city representatives to get to work on common sense planning for affordability and the urgent need for infrastructure to go along with it.
Wendy Fieber, Burnaby
