The construction and paving of the new entrance to Evergreen centre took a considerable length of time but it is now half done. It’s great having a nice smooth asphalt surface but we’re sitting here looking out the window waiting for the first fender bender. We need directional and stop signs in place now, not later. The roadway bottlenecks and the entrance/exit to the parking lot in front of the Royal Bank is confusing. Let’s fix it before someone gets hurt.
There is construction taking place all over town. We, who live here, may not notice as much but people who haven’t been to Sooke for awhile are commenting. It makes Sooke look prosperous with a healthy economy. Are we? Perhaps.
A healthy economy is one where the revenues exceed the expenditures. The district has to ensure the taxpayers that it is fiscally responsible and not wasting everyone’s hard-earned dollars. Pipe dreams and wish lists are not based on financial reality and they should be relegated to where they belong - wishful thinking. We have so many necessary things to accomplish first before the big ideas. We need infrastructure and that is costly. While one might think that the developers are paying for all of their amenities, it should be noted that the district still has to spend a lot for roads and servicing. This can also mean more police and fire fighting costs, more staff, more of everything.
Growth has a price and we need to be prepared for the inevitable price tag on our expansion. We cannot afford to mortgage our future.