Editor:
I was not in favour of the construction of Burnaby’s Willingdon Linear Park but favoured the construction of some type of low-income housing or some other public need. Over the past 20 years or so, the City of Burnaby has acquired several homes along the Willingdon “strip” in order to create an expressway.
The mayor stated that the linear park was created with monies provided by those companies that profited from the relaxing of the land zone requirements, which enabled them to expand their highrise building extensively. The mayor fails to acknowledge that 20 years ago or so, the City of Burnaby began buying up property along the Willingdon corridor with a view to construct an expressway for public transit.
The value of the vacant property – in today’s terms - is huge, and if sold today the resulting monies could be applied to the construction of a much-needed hospital, or other facility. Furthermore, the estimated $2 million received from the aforesaid zonal fund from developers could also be applied to a much-needed public project, rather than a glorified linear park where families can walk, sit and play amid carbon monoxide fumes.
Mike Horton, Burnaby
