Hundreds Rally Against Gateway Project

- March 31, 2007

An overflowing crowd packed the East Delta Community Hall to hear speakers call for a stop to the South Fraser Perimeter Road, Deltaport Expansion and the province's "Gateway Project." Organizers estimated that close to a thousand people came to at least part of the rally.

The Gateway Project includes a plan to expand a long stretch of Highway One leading into Vancouver and twin the Port Mann bridge. Another part of the project, the South Fraser Perimeter Road, will destroy Burn's Bog, remove over a thousand acres of farm land and increase pollution around several schools in Delta.

Although people came from West Vancouver, Lion's Bay and Vancouver, it was clear that majority of the those present were from south of the Fraser River. Proponents of the province's plan have tried to claim that there is near universal support for their project in communities south of the Fraser.

A group of 17 cyclists travelled from Vancouver to the rally and cyclists also rode from Surrey.

Speakers included politicians from the federal Conservative Party, the federal Green Party, the provincial NDP, local municipal governments and a former Socred minister. Environmentalists and academics also spoke about the dangers of port and highway expansion.

The speakers were often interrupted by shouts and applause from the rather boisterous crowd. Many speakers pointed out the threat to democracy from the Liberal government that is forcing this project on communities without public input.

One family whose community will be directly impacted by the South Fraser Perimeter road said this was the first protest they had ever attended.