Shawnigan RCMP detachment reno makes no sense
The decision to renovate the Shawnigan RCMP detachment building leaves me baffled. Why would this be the best way when land has been made available closer to the highway?
Did the decision makers even take into consideration the distances and the routes that these officers have to use in order to respond to an emergency on the highway? Have they taken a ride in a cruiser at high speed on Shawnigan Lake Road and then through Cobble Hill? That is one narrow, windy road, which adds time to a response let alone the chance for them to be in an accident while negotiating all the twists and turns with other traffic on the road. I almost had that experience by the Black Swan and there was no edge to get over properly. I watched the cruiser speed by and crossing the centre line in order to maintain speed. Luckily, no one was coming from the other direction. That was a few years back and I have been advocating for another location ever since.
The land donated is the best option, as it so close to the highway. The ambulance station is across the road and the fire hall is just a short distance away. While the fire hall and the ambulance station sends out their crews, the RCMP is still en route. It does not make sense. Any idiot with a modicum of intelligence would see that this is backwards. I did.
Is the old station seismically sound or will that have to be addressed as part of the renovations? Why is it so important to keep using that building? I say get with the times. That area used to be where the highway once went through. In case they haven’t noticed, a new highway was built and is further away. It only makes sense the RCMP should be located closer to it, as that is where most of their calls are for.
Leave it to the bureaucrats to make the wrong decision. They don’t listen to the public outcry. They have to form a committee to address this and then create a prolonged study of the issue. This is how they justify their position and the salaries they make. I would hazard a guess that they did not even consult with the officers who have to respond to emergencies every day. What could they possibly contribute when senior levels of the RCMP know everything? This is so typical as to how government works. It is infuriating and nothing can be done about it. Usually, when these people make a decision, that is the end of the subject, no matter what. That is why they get paid the big bucks. Oh well.
Ed Aiken
Cobble Hill