L E T   'E R   R I P !!!

What the h#&% is going on at Highway 16 and Domano. looks like a 9 million dollar wider version of what was there before. Looks like you still have to merge out of and into Canadian tire and cross in front of each other just like before.

Happy Friday all! I hope the bucket brigade are out today capturing the smell. Good Luck to Terrace this weekend with their Hockeyville!

I heard Rex Murphy on CBC last evening stating that the coming election is going to cost taxpayers three hundred million dollars; slides off the tongue nice and easy.

In my opinion, we don't need another election. I would rather the money were spent giving some of our fellow Canadians a roof over their head.

So far I can't see where they have solved the real problem with 16 and Domano, that is the poor line of sight when turning left off 16 to Domano. The two left turn lanes in both directions are only going to make the intersection more dangerous if left turns are allowed on a solid green. Also considering the size of the intersection and traffic volume and most of the year there are no traffic lines visible, its going to be very interesting. Who designs these things anyhow?

In an article published on Opinion250 not long ago, it was stated the left turn signals for both lanes on Hwy 16 would be dedicated left turn signals like the ones at the Hwy 16 and 97 intersection.
I think the crews there are doing a fabulous job. I travel through that intersection daily and have experienced minimal delays.

I agree Lamb and what about the billions being spent on the Olympics. I oan think of a lot of better uses for that money too. The Olympics is for the rich and most of us can not afford to go.

I had recently flown into the Prince George Airport from Vancouver. I then picked up my travel bag, and proceeded out the doors to my awaiting ride.
All I noticed was the litter of cigarette buts all over the sidewalk.
Its was so disqusting and really a shame.

This is how we market our city to new arrivals? Its Shameful.

Can someone shed some light on the question, "Why are we sending troops to Afghanistan and middle east?"

From http://www.thestar.com/News/article/295277#survey
It's worth remembering that we keep sending soldiers to Afghanistan not because Canada has been attacked by the Taliban, but because our friends, the Americans, feel they are at war with them.

Why are we spending billion on a war that is not a war against an enemy that is not ours?

9/11 was not an attack against us, it was an attack on the Americans. How did we get dragged into it?

Oil?
Terrorists?
Religion?
Control of foreign soil?
WMD's?
Possible threat?
Racism?
Enforcing Democracy? (We don't have that here)
The beaches and tourist sites?

Just one concise statement.

Do all the MP's get their raises this year? or do the cut backs include their raises

Loki. The Taliban never attacked the USA. That was done by Osama Ben Laden.

Ben Laden had camps in Afghanistan, and the American demanded that the Taliban (The Government of Afganistan at the time) turn Ben Laden over to them. The Taliban offered to turn Ben Laden over to a neutral third Country, however the Americans refused this offer, and attacked Afganistan.

The Liberal Government of the day committed troops to this American War at the time because;

(1) There were some Canadians killed in New York during 9/11.

(2) The American applied pressure on Canada to be a part of the War.

The real reason for the war is that the Americans want to ensure that they control that part of the Middle East. If they leave a vacuum there it could be filled by the Russians, or the Chinese.

Another reason is that there is significant oil deposits in the Caspian Sea, and also oil and gas in Afganistan, plus there are potential routes for oil and gas pipelines through Afganistan and Pakistan, to the Indian Ocean to service huge markets in India.

The first casualty of war is truth, so therefore I doubt if we will ever be told specifically why we are there, however you can rest assured it is not, to build schools, and protect womens rights. These reasons came after the invasion, not before.

Daisybee wrote: "I travel through that intersection daily and have experienced minimal delays. "

When do you travel through there? I go through twice a day going to and coming from work and have experienced considerable delays (by PG standards).

All that being said, I don't mind knowing that they're going to improve the trafic flow. I don't know how a project like that is worth $9.5M, it seems awfully high considering they're just widening the road and doubling some turning lanes.

"It's worth remembering that we keep sending soldiers to Afghanistan not because Canada has been attacked by the Taliban, but because our friends, the Americans, feel they are at war with them."

To say something like this on the 8 year anniversary it just stuipid.

Do you think that we were spared because they like us? What about Spain? What about Britain? These are attacks on our way of life, not on one nation or another.

"The Olympics is for the rich and most of us can not afford to go."

I am proud to showcase the Greatest Place on Earth to the world. Was the price tag a little high? Maybe. But it remains to be seen what kind of benefits we will recieve.

Clean wrote: "I had recently flown into the Prince George Airport from Vancouver. I then picked up my travel bag, and proceeded out the doors to my awaiting ride.
All I noticed was the litter of cigarette buts all over the sidewalk."

Agreed. But smokers as a lot are pretty inconsiderate of where their butts end up. The world is their ashtray.

An interesting article by Neil Godbout on page 17 of the Citizen this morning regarding the "expensive pile of dirt" on Hwy 16 leading up to the Casino.
Does anyone know just what this will be eventually?
If it is for wider access (i.e. motor homes) to the Casino there is still the tiny bottle-neck right turn actually entering the Casino. Or is that to be widened too?

Born in BC. I am sure that you will find that people in Spain, Britian, USA, Austrailia, Europe, etc; all think that their Country is the **Greatest place on Earth**

If BC is so great, why has the population of California since the eighteen hundreds expanded to over 20 Million People. While BC during the same period of time has increased to just over 5 Million.

Why has the American population ballooned to over 300 Million while Canada limps along at 30 Million. Could it be because maybe we are not as great as we think.

Perhaps we need an outside opinion.

BiBC: that was a quote from an article.

"To say something like this on the 8 year anniversary it just stuipid. "(s t u p i d)
{The red squiggly line under some of your words indicate a spelling error.}

We are paying homage to an American incident that is suspected of being perpetrated by its own government and secrete service?

Do you have an answer to my question or do you just look for others faults?

Palopu:
Just a thought, California has one season and that is summer.
We have two seasons, ugly, and not so ugly.

One would think that having an extended cold season would have more people holed up at home snuggling under the blankets.

"We are paying homage to an American incident that is suspected of being perpetrated by its own government and secrete service?"

Normally I wouldn't care, but given that you just played spelling police with BiBC, I would like to know what exactly these servicemen and women secrete? Sounds pretty gross to me...

Add me to the list of those who would like to know why it is costing $9.5 million to upgrade Domano/Hwy16, when it appears that all they are doing is widening it and making the existing merge lanes longer.

They put an overpass for logging trucks over the highway at the Bobtail Forest Service Road for only about 5 million, so I thought for 9.5 we were certainly going to have one here as well.

Perhaps the cost is inflated to pay for overtime resulting from 24 hour construction??

Significant contracts such as this should be viewable by the general public, although perhaps they can go through the freedom of information process...

Why are we in afghanistan Loki? Because we are members of the United Nations, sworn to render assistance to those countries whose citizens are subject to tyranny from their own government or from other forces.
It's either that, or we are trying to impress the yanks and limeys, because we want them to include us in their world domination schemes. Either way, we must respect our young people who sign up for the armed forces, go into harms way, and sign that cheque payable to the citizens of CANADA, for an amount up to and including their life. Sorry I can't answer the question "why are we sending troops?" I just could not miss the opportunity to remind everyone of the sacrifices our young soldiers are making, which is what Loki is saying too, I think. It is wrong for us to be in afghanistan, in my opinion, but from what I hear, our soldiers are proud to be there, and believe they are doing the right thing. That is good enough for me.
metalman.

Sure am glad they turned 16 & Domano into a giant mudhole. I love washing my car every day.

BTW - Enjoy your afternoon of America bashing, glad I won't be here to read any of it.

Well I'm not proud Born in BC. I think it's a shame and a waste of good tax dollars for a bunch of people to skate and slid down a hill. I'll willing to bet if the Olympics was put to a vote, it would not be happening in BC. Times are tough and we will be paying, like Montreal did, for a very long time.

Metalman: that is in part what I am saying. It is not our troops choice of theater. They are courageous just for signing up for what could be their death and they should be commended and respected at every turn. What I have issue with is the directors of this war. The leaders that decided to engage in this action.

So far what has been offered as to the reason we are there is that the USA stuck their nose into another countries internal affairs and dragged NATO and the U.N. into it. Is that a correct summation?

Wars have always been about economics: they have what we want.

Loki I take it you know how to grow mushrooms. Stay in the dark and go LA LA LA with your ears covered. I love American bashing but all the bashers seem to enjoy the American way of life. What a bunch of hypocrites.
Sure a lot of it is about oil, just what do you think has given you your quality of life and sorry to say that is not going to change anytime soon.

The terroists where mainly based in Afganistan and if left unchecked would expand.

I can only reply in short retorts because of work, but Loki open your a little wider.

Since it is the aniversary of 911 I thought I would share this link with you all. Enjoy and have a nice weekend.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-8182697765360042032#

9/11: Blueprint for Truth is the name and it was presented by Richard Gage at the University of Manitoba and researched and created by 130 Architects & Engineers.

I ma not "American bashing", just asking why Canada and Canadian troops are placed in harms way.

I am well aware of the peak oil crisis that not many believe. It has been estimated that there is between 10 and 20 years left of oil in the ground. So OUR quality of life is and will be changed. Until such time as we come up with a portable energy source with the same are greater energy per unit, we are stuck.

How am I in the dark by asking for the truth? It is not I going blindly forward ignoring all the signs of this energy crisis? I don't use a big pick-up for daily driving in town nor do I tear up the woods and snow with an ATV just for the sake of burning gas. Water Skiing, now that is a waste of gas!

So if this is all about securing a supply of oil because our current sources are depleting, why are these wasteful activities still taking place? It cannot be that bad if we are still able to afford to buy gas and burn it up for entertainment. As I have have read here before, you can't have it both ways. Just trying to make some sense of the conflicting messages.

palupo,
absolutley right,the population of the two countries says it all.

I agree with the others on the Hwy 16/Domano project....I don't know how widening that intersection out is going to help the traffic congestion there. That merge lane from Southridge to Hwy 16 is still going to be a total screw up...all for a cool 9.5 mill. The money could have been spent towards extending Ospika and making an overpass over Hwy 16 to Marleau. The traffic problem would have been solved. Don't understand where the costs come from. It's a total mess right now too, all the mud and huge potholes. I like washing my truck every day too. Also, what do people think of the concrete berm beside the casino?? A million for that?? I liked the article in today's paper by Neil Godbout about the "beautifully crafted, expensive pile of dirt" That pretty well sums it up.

The Canadian Armed forces are an all volunteer force. A good percentage of the soldiers involved with Afghanistan have joined since Canada got involved. I guess it is foreign for some people to wonder why a person would want to become a soldier. Well adventure is at or near the top of the list as the saying goes, there is no life like it.
Why become a soldier? Why climb rock walls, race a car, scuba dive, skydive, bungee jump, etc.?

Oh the world is not yet near running out of oil. We may have to go farther afield but its out there. OIl sands, oil shale and new discoveries almost everyday. There will have to be a change over someday but it will not happen in our life time.

"There will have to be a change over someday but it will not happen in our life time."

Please note the date you said that. I plan on being around longer than 20 years and the estimates I have seen are in that period.

Those other potential sources are too difficult to extract to make them feasible at this time. They are locked in shale or too deep to extract. Gus or metalman?

you still have not concisely answered the initial question, "Why are we there?"

So far only two have provided a plausible answer. Does this mean that no one actually knows? If no one knows why we are sending our troops, then why are we spending money we do not have on an effort that will only benefit the states?

Looks like we're in for a nice little first nations summer.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/toons/Brucex11.jpg

http://thechronicleherald.ca/toons/Brucex11.jpg

Sorry, forgot the link.

Sledhead.
Please check my post on this site at 9:29am.
Do you or any other poster know what is going on with that berm?
Thanks. Observer.

Wolfie, does Harper's nose always appear that dangerously swollen?
Loki, I don't have an answer. I am somewhat like Pavlov's dog, in that I respond to stimuli. Most of the time I try and not pay too much attention to what the news media is trying to sensationalize.
The best comment I can come up with in regard to why Canada is participating in the madness that is Afghanistan is "because the americans are there"
metalman.

Metalman: I think they had to swell the nose instead of elsewhere because it's a family newspaper!

Canada is in Afghanistan because we're a part of NATO. That's what allies do... if one gets attacked, they all respond.

Oil reserves keep increasing almost everyday. A process exists for extracting oil from shale.Its a matter of regulations to get at it. Going deep for oil is not a real issue, its a matter of cost, cheaper oil near the surface, but the cost is coming down. Loki what is your answer to oil? I read somewhere that transportation uses 30 to 40% of oil production, we still need 60% for all the other uses.
Being in Afghanistan is a matter of trying to stabilize the region if that can be done. Nato may have to be in Afghanistan for 10 years or more sorry to say. If everyone walks out of Afghanistan then then Loki you had better learn to duck because if you believe we won't be affected then you are dreaming.

I want to remind my neighbours of the meeting put on by the City Sept.22, 6 to 8 at the Civic Center to express views on a big health and wellness centre . WE do not want it in our neighbourhood. We have become the cities dumping ground. How can the government afford this big centre when they are cutting funding to schools and hospitals? I would like Nothern Health take their big needle van to another area, you are just trying to keep the fire going in our area. How much is it costing to have this big van driving around and around trying to give needles out ?? How much are the two people in the van getting paid??

Observer, from Wikipedia - "In modern highway construction, a berm is a noise barrier constructed of earth, often landscaped, running along a highway to protect adjacent land users from noise pollution."

When the trees were removed from the area, the highway noise level increased for the residents of the Perry subdivision. The berm is meant to solve that issue.

From Neil Godbout's Citizen article: "Hopefully the folks in the Perry neighbourhood (better known as Candy Cane Lane) will appreciate the big hill, since it’s designed to soak up the highway sounds that used to get absorbed by the stand of pine trees separating their homes from four lanes of traffic.
Apparently residents of Langley can handle living right next to the six lanes of Highway 1 with only a high wooden fence as a barricade but some local homeowners aren’t so crazy about living next to the much less busy four lanes of Highway 16."

We're in Afghanistan because we are a member of NATO, and under the terms of the Treaty we signed an attack on one NATO member's homeland is considered to be an attack on all.

If we, or any other NATO member were attacked by outside forces, we could call on the United States and all the other countries that are NATO members for military assistance.

The nature of that assistance, in this case, is left up to the governments of the individual member countries. It may only be "moral" support, or, as we and others have done, the sending of soldiers into actual combat, or in some supporting role.

The Taliban government gave refuge to bin Laden, and provided a safe haven for terrorists, and refused to hand him over for trial as the US requested.

Until such a trial were held, how would we ever really know whether or not he was guilty or innocent of masterminding the 9/11 attack?

Remember, under our laws, and those of the USA, the accused is innocent until proven guilty. The attack, in this case didn't come from an aggressor "country" where its "guilt" would be obvious for all to see, it supposedly came from a supra-national terrorist group, al Quaeda.

Whether bin Laden actually co-ordinated the 9/11 attack or not, his followers have gained much publicity and support in the Muslim world from the assumption that he did.

It seems to me that if there are ulterior motives for accusing bin Laden and al Quaeda of the 9/11 attacks, they are certainly motives which seem to suit the 'political' desires of BOTH sides. As always, those largely unconnected to the pursuit of the policies aimed for by the leaders of the opposing sides bear the brunt of the suffering.

The only things I see the USA getting from their whole Middle East adventure "economically" is the opportunity to boost their armaments industry, and the distributions of necessary new money into their general economy through that industry. Without which, they would probably have entered into a recession much sooner than they now have.

Also, it does tend to relieve many currently in the American military from being otherwise unemployed. And God forbid any country could ever possibly "give" its citizens an "income" without demanding they be 'employed' in some manner or another. Even if it is only killing their opposite number in some far away place.


The US will also be able to use Afghanistan, and Iraq, which they're already doing, as a "dumping ground" for surplus American manufactures that could not be sold in the USA at a price sufficient to cover the full cost of their making.

These will be exported "free" to that country to aid in its re-building, courtesy, eventually, of the American taxpayer. Who will only ever be able to fully pay the bill for this war if there's another, and another, ad infinitum. Unless, of course, we change the 'money' system itself. And we all KNOW we're never going to do THAT!