Just love it!

Best joke of the week:


"FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL - October 22nd, 2010
By 250 News

Thursday, October 21, 2010 12:00 AM"



Hey, Opinion 250 it was a good one!

? Must have been good to delete 5 comments.

"? Must have been good to delete 5 comments."

The censors have been having a heyday on this site lately.

Sorry about the censorship. While we were running the series on Down Town, we wanted to ensure that it was fair to everyone. Thank you for the nice compliments about 250 and Elaine and Ben and the work we did on the series. We thought that if we put up only the good comments it looks like we are trying to blow our own horn, while not putting up those that had something to say about the deals.
Thanks for being patient with us, we like your comments, and above all we don’t like to censor
Ben Meisner

This is over a year old, but I heard it for the first time yesterday, and howled with laughter...

“In the year 3000 - YouTube, Twitter & Facebook will merge into one super time wasting website called YouTwitFace.” - Conan O'Brien

Everybody have a safe weekend. Go Cats!!

Sure would like to see an in depth story on where all these guns used by gangs are coming from. We hear about the restricted handguns and prohibited SMG's but no follow up on where they originated and how they got here.
One can assume they came across the border or that they were stolen, but for those Liberals, they need to be told.

This has been making the e-mail rounds recently.

-------------------
How To Start Each Day With A Positive Outlook

1. Open a new folder in your computer.

2. Name it 'HARPER'.

3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.

4. Empty the Recycle Bin.

5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'HARPER?'

6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'

7. Feel better?

GOOD!

speaking of guns and gangs - penalties need to be tougher - that fellow charged from the drug bust on McIntyre last summer - has a many priors charges, however, for the drug bust last summer - his sentence was .........130 days (that coming after a nine month previous sentence). Do we think that will change him? Not in the least. I think for every time they get charged the sentence should keep doubling.
Penalties are just not tough enough for criminals.

I live in the Hart Highway area and am wondering if anyone else can hear what sounds like a jet engine taking off at all hours of the day (including 3 am). I am pretty sure it is the Husky Refinery making this noise or something close to it. Why does the City of PG allow such a large noise to happen at all hours of the day? I can handle the mid-day noise but at 3 in the morning?! I am pretty sure we have some noise bylawys.

Travelled in Alberta this week. Gas prices in Edson 91.9. No extra 7% on meals. Kind of a nice change.

Of course Alberta can be going nowhere but down hill because as Campbell tells us the HST is going to be our saviour.

Interesting how the gov't picked up millions of dollars in legal fees for Basi and Virk just to sweep the BCR sale scandal under the rug. Wonder if they will be picking up the tab for Joe average citizen the next time he or she decides to fight a speeding ticket.

pansy agreed.

Buyer beware, the new halloween store in town has a strict no return policy. My wife brought our kids in and grabbed herself a prepackaged costume. There were no change rooms so she guessed on the size and didn't bother unpacking her BRAND NEW costume. She got home and went to try it on and there was a rip in it. She phoned to let them know she would be down after I got home from work (she called less than an hour after buying the costume). She got there to be told she must have ripped it (she didn't) and that they would not exchange it for an undamaged one. The manager said that she should have inspected her costume before buying it. Lesson learned, never purchase anything from them or their sister store in the mall.

Funny that you posted that this morning porter. The wife and I went in there last night and the clerk was a real ray of sunshine (sarcasm)
We got back in the truck and the wife says "well we certainly wont be coming back here"

Nice going BC Government for adding 7% Tax to my Hydro Bill, you will get lots more in Taxes from me, since I heat with Electric . You People will never get enough to spend an useless Project like Sports Events and other Crap . 29 Bucks a Day for extended stay at the Hospital , kick the sick down another notch !

Now you know. I can be whiny AND opinionated even on a Thursday.

i agree with pansy also. I saw in obituaries today, Joe Fowlie, the man who plead guilty to beating and sexually assulting a woman from beaverly this spring, was at his mothers side when she passed away. Very sad for any family to lose a love one and you have my best wishes. But here lies the problem, why should he be out of jail, he took part of someone elses life but he does not get the full punishment he deserves. I would not be surprised to see him free all together very soon. The court system sucks with regard to all major crimes.... but get caught speeding look out. Just my opinion.

Its very interesting how Dan mcLaren and Gordon Langer and others, are directors of the DBIA. They didnt mind watching a few select businesses have their taxes raised because od the new DBIA.
The interesting part is Dan mclaren and Gordon Langer and others are directors of
Commonwealth Campuses Corp. As directors of the DBIA they are proposing up to 25 year tax exemptions for their new co.
A conflict of interest, I would say so, I would like to see some clarity on this. Can anyone help? To sum this up, these guys want a huge tax break while others are being charged extra. Hardly fair, Legal? Maybe not.

Seriously, folks. Attention: Wood Wheaton and Northland Chrysler. Displayed along their respective highways they have automobiles with numbers like $249 on them. (as an example). In smaller letters on the rear fenders is the word "bi-weekly". This means twice a month. When you double the number on the side of the vehicle is the real cost per month.My guess is that the monthly payment for these vehicles is a little jolt. Nowhere near the sticker shock you get looking at the prices in the showroom. Maybe these dealers took a page out of gasoline retailing. Rather than have gasoline advertised in front of the gas station saying $4.79 a gallon, they say $1.07 per litre. I don't buy gas by the litre. I buy it by the dollar. In the US they advertise a Hyundai for $299 per month. In Canada we pay an average of 18% more for everything. Maybe this is a typical Canucks retailers way of selling overpriced goods. IMO.

there is a joe jr. & a joe sr. look out for what you say

The DBIA is made up of businesses that operate in the area bounded by the DBIA. The money is collected by the City and redistributed by the Directors and members through their input based on the DBIA's annual business plan.

The DBIA is seeking a revision of the tax structure for businesses downtown in order to encourage development there.

There is no conflict as far as I can tell because any change will affect all. So the Northern will be able to take advantage of it, the Ramada, the Coast, the owners of the office buildings along Victoria, and all the smaller buildings in the downtown.

PG is not the only city looking to see whether some changes would benefit the City.

kendoo, notice his monicker? confused.

Another lady bought a cute little "police uniform" costume at a 'novelties' store in Pine C. At the party the zipper down the front gave out, from top to bottom. She had to borrow her husband's costume to cover herself up. Again, a 'no refunds' policy, so if you buy there, inspect very carefully and test as well I guess. Also, isn't there a law in B.C. that a buyer of any merchandise has seven days to change their mind and get a full refund on whatever he has put down? Or is that a Federal law?

Harbinger and others who think our pothole situation is out of control; do you think if we sent pictures of them to the City streets manager, duly labelled as to their location, it might spur them in the ribs a little? Or could we post them on a local tourism site, maybe that would light a fire under someone. I would still like to know where the original money for pothole repair went and then the extra taxes added on specifically for that went too. When was that tax implemented anyway, was it two years ago?

forthegoodofmankind: I know the pulp mills blow off boilers every once in awhile and they make an awful roar for a long time. Maybe that is what you are hearing.

what i'm confused about is how people who commit major crimes are protected while somebody caught speeding is guilty and convicted on the side of the road

Hey Give more: I have a digital camera. I walk my dog around many pot holes. Maybe if we sent Ben or Elaine a picture and location of an obnoxious pot hole, we could have a "PG Pot Hole of the Week?" But then again, with all the pot holes in this town it could be "Pot Hole of the Day". We could carry around a one foot (non metric) ruler to give the pot hole in the picture some perspective. Prizes? Sure! As long as there are no "skill testing questions". Now where is my old ruler? I'm game.

congrats to ben and staff for the info on the downtown redevelopement. as for the people involved in this little endevor, one needs to look at all the connections with each other. the boards they sit on the groups they belong to, jobs they have and so on. all equates to a tangled web to make money money money. if you think they are going to develope the downtown, think again. the more likey senerio is they will stir up hipe and flip the properties to make that quick buck. using some tax payers money. yes they are renovating a new building billed as the health centre and trying to attract doctors etc, but that in its self smells at to how they acquired the building and government money to renovate. odd that the newly appointed head of the spirt of the north foundation is also a registerd to work for commonwealth and dan maclaren. he was appointed to that position with no experience and given a masive raise as reported by opinion 250. the man that made the annoucment of that appoitment, hugh nicolson who sits on the spirit of the north foundation board and also sits on the DBIA with, you guessed it Dan maclaren. one might think that fund raising may take a back seat and the job for recruiting for his employer for the new health care centre may take priority. I predict this whole thing will fall flat on its face. and the tax payers are the ones that will get hurt the most.

Outwest about your Hydro bill or lets call it what it is another fiberal tax, you ain't seen nothing yet. Hydro is almost broke by the fiberals forcing it into a 30 billion dollar contract with independent power producers. Add onto this the one billion to install so called smart meters.

Tests in the U.S have shown that smart metering systems are relatively easy to hack. Assuming that organized crime has access to computer expertise, we would hand them a simple way to steal electricity without detection. The White House has raised concerns about the potential for someone with a grudge against the U.S. to use a smart meter as a point of entry to the national power grid, and has identified this as threat to national security.

Here is a link http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/07/05/SmartMeters/

So, have you got a solution rattyboy, or are you just bitchin'?

BTW, rattyboy, all the money the DBIA got from its members through the City taxing them for the previous 10 years. Where did that go? Did it solve any problems?

Harbinger
There is an "extra" little gimmick those car dealers threw in - by making the customer pay "bi-weekly", they are getting an EXTRA "month" every year. Paying $249 every 2 weeks (26 times per year) adds up to $6,474 per year as opposed to $5,976 if there were two payments per month for 12 months !!

"Also, isn't there a law in B.C. that a buyer of any merchandise has seven days to change their mind and get a full refund on whatever he has put down? Or is that a Federal law?"
-----------------------------------------
Neither, thank God. If you think prices are high now just put something like that in, and watch them double.

Inspect the merchandise BEFORE you buy.

And do your price checking, and make up your mind, BEFORE you buy, too.

Don't expect the merchant to take something back because you found it two bucks cheaper somewhere else after you made your purchase.

HE doesn't hand you your money back and
go and pull it out of YOUR truck or car if he gets a customer for the last of his stock of an item who's willing to pay two bucks more for it, right
after you've just bought the last one.

Most merchants are flexible and will allow returns if the merchandise is defective, but in the case of a costume the merchant would have no way of knowing whether the tear was there before, or caused by the customer.

There is a law that applies to purchases of automobiles from a car dealer that allows the customer to change his mind within a limited time after purchase. Thankfully it doesn't apply to other merchandise.

"Neither, thank God. If you think prices are high now just put something like that in, and watch them double."

-----------

Since I think that it would be very difficult to find more than a few stores in PG that DONT at least exchange or grant in store credit for defective merchandise than I would suggest that the prices wouldnt change much at all. Any reputable operation such as The Bay or London Drugs (even Walmart or Costco) will even exchange without reciept. Since they are already doing it I dont see how making it mandatory is likely to increase costs.

if you really must know gus,,,, I am just bitchin. and if you want a solution. burn the entire down town and bulldoze it under.
it aint worth saving.

"in the case of a costume the merchant would have no way of knowing whether the tear was there before, or caused by the customer."

Why would a costume be any different than any other packaged item?

It is a case of the "honest" customer versus the "honest" merchant. Who do you believe?

Broken zippers, torn costumes ..... it's cheap and shoddy merchandise. But merchandise still has to be fit for the purpose for which it is manufactured. If a reasonable person uses the merchandise in a normal and reasonable fashion, and it breaks, then it is manufacturing problem. Return it to the merchant who should return it to the supplier who then returns it to the manufacturer.

And yes, it is part of the cost of doing business all along the line. Any business that is not set up to deal with that .... well, you know why you are paying a fraction of the price that you ought to be paying when that happens to you. Make better shopping choices. Enough people do that and the retailer will be able to close up shop in no time.

I figured you would be in the slash and burn group.

But, that is not the full solution, is it?

The City is using your tactic. The City has been buying the land and has bulldozed some of it.

So now the citizens are upset because their tax money is being used to do that, and there is no one yet that has decided to move into the empty properties.

"in the case of a costume the merchant would have no way of knowing whether the tear was there before, or caused by the customer."

She called back an hour after purchase on a Thursday afternoon and had two kids with her. Probably not going to be doing anything that the costume can't normally handle.

Was up in Fort St. John recently and determined that if PG residents woke up with their roads, there would be a riot at City Hall, LOL.

something has been disturbing me of late. My bank account, it appears that my money is not going as far as it used to. We have all heard that the HST, carbon tax, property taxes etc have all increased and people on fixed incomes are hit the hardest. You are right. I am one of these people. I have been collecting CPP benefits since April 2009. In Novwember of the same year I started receiving my OAS. I pulled all of my bank records and noticed that I received a benefit increase in January 2010 on my CPP of $3.57 per month. Increase on OAS in July 2010 $1.55 Total increase in a year and half of $5.12 or .17 cents per day. The only thing that keeps me afloat is my personal pension that I did managed to save over the years, not much but it helps.

gus,
you know very well the community charter doesn't allow a DBIA to do anything more than put in flower baskets and promote sidewalk sales! The Community Charter doesn't allow for any "development" but it does allow for efforts to increase business and beautify the area....The gateway folks have done a great job! Updating the newest building in the downtown core hardly speaks to revitalization and when the tennants are just a relocation of folks already in the area, where is the gain? Just the same folks but instead of buying lunch at the Coast, they are crossing the street to buy lunch at Riley's?

Yes "forthegoodofmankind", you are right,
it is the Husky refinery. It happens
almost every night for years.
After they "let something out" the
whole area all the way to Fort George
park smells awfull. The pulp mill
did a lot over the last 15 years
to prevent their "odour" to spread,
the refinery is just way too old
to expect any "upgrading" to work.
When most of us are asleep, we are
not aware of this, so therefore
not very many of us notice it.

This week I flew through a category 5 Typhoon to get home from the Philippines. Heard on the Philippine news it was the worst typhoon in over 20-years they were expecting with 240mph winds and that power would likely be out across Manila Metropolis with them expecting a direct hit... power in the Philippines is all private and not public like here in Canada, and as such its a patchwork system that is under serious stress do to lack of infrastructure investments. A serious flaw in their national security that they desperately need to address.

Anyways I was faced with the choice of staying and riding out the storm in a 18th story hotel room with no power and air conditioning... for days possibly, or catching the last flight out and making it back in time for work. So I took the last flight out before air travel was stopped for the storm... 2-hours of up and down and sideways g-force.. unbelievable the wings didn't come off the plane as the storm came in from the north of the Island and our flight path took us north to the East coast of Japan directly through the storm... everyone got sick other than me it seemed... and then 9-hours yet to go once we cleared the storm... and I've had the flu all week since.

Anyways I made some interesting observations while there... flying over the Philippines one is struck by how low some of their land is to the sea... mere feet it rises over like 20km from shore in some spots... with villages everywhere that surely would sink under a major storm surge... how they coop with that is beyond me.

Another thing more interesting was what goes on in Davao in the south of the Philippines on Mindanao Island (no typhoons there as they are too close to the equator).

They have the Davao River that flows out in their town center into the Gulf of Davao... at high tide and when the moon is full the river backs up and floods huge swaths of the poor neighborhoods of the city. When I heard about this I had to see it in person to believe it. Probably a million people effected by this daily flooding at certain times of the month.

It use to be that the river never flooded these parts and only recently in the last few years its gotten bad. When I was there it would flood all the homes up to two feet in water until like 9-10pm at night before it went down again and the water would be gone... horrendous implications for the people living there.. I was shocked that they just matter of fact about it and see nothing unusual about this fact of life (they were more curious about my curiosity)... I guess when you are poor and use to being ignored by your government you don't expect much. Its shocking though the hardships it creates when everything of value has to be stored above two feet... and the results of dengue fever spreed by mosquitoes that is is a very real threat... to say nothing of sanitation from possible human excrement brought in by the flood waters.

When I was out on the islands in the gulf I also noticed they had coral rock that would extend out of the water almost 50 feet in spots. Ancient coral rock, but still at some point the ocean near the equator was clearly at least 50 feet higher than it is today as it seemed uniform no matter what island one was on. This has horrendous implications for the people living along the Davao River Delta, or in most of the Philippines for that matter.

Personally I don't believe it is the result of human activity... far more likely to be the result of climate change brought about by solar magnetism that changes the water levels on earth and influences our environment (I say solar magnetisim because this has been cyclical long before human intervention)... but clearly this is a sign that we are entering a warming period where the water levels can be measured in the actual real time impacts on peoples lives.

So one would think they would be putting in a diking system to keep the water out... or dredging the river to keep it flowing better maybe... possibly they have the percolation problem PG has.. in any event you don't here about it hear in the west, because you don't hear about it even there in the Philippines. That would be because they have the same problem we have... corporate ownership of the media that covers concerns of the elite class and ignores, or side steps the problems of the poor and disadvantaged class. Its very noticeable in reading their news over there that the media promotes the religion a lot... to in a way buy loyalty and appear to be a relevant force of good, but in fact ignore some very large real issues effecting millions for the benefit of the few.

Another thing I noticed was how they log down good coconut trees and such of high value, simply to make cooking charcoal.

Mindanao Island, which is very large, doesn't have access to natural gas, so most all of their cooking is done with charcoal. I did some talking about this issue as well with the locals, and my thinking is its an opportunity for beetle kill wood if one could make it into cooking charcoal for export in large quantity to a city like Davao of 4 million, and then sold in small quantities through the local street vendors. A sort of test project that could be replicated on may other island communities of size with similar concerns across the globe... a sort of charcoal globalized conglomerate.

If one could convince their mayor in Davao to build the new power generating plant to accept wood pellets as part of its fuel source, then the enabling infrastructure could be in place to make it all cost effective, and the environmental benefits to the local airshed (in the production of charcoal), as well as the preservation of valuable trees, as well as the global sea level implications could all be good selling points to a project like that.

Anyways just some thoughts on what I seen and investigated while I was in the Philippines... some of which was disturbing to actually see and comprehend. Those people could really use some help, and some good ideas, and some capital to fund them was what I was thinking....

Interesting that in the last week the Harper government was the first one in Canadian history rejected by the UN members for a spot on the security council. Clearly the UN members think Canada has gone astray from our traditional values... and clearly this is a result of the Harper policy on Israel supporting the apartheid policy there and defending their crimes like the Gaza open air prison and the flotilla massacre.

Well now more implications of the one sided Harper policy via Israel. Turns out on Monday Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay, and Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk were denied landing rights in the UAE (while in the air about to land), and furthermore the UAE told Canada we must evacuate our staging base for Afghanistan called Camp Mirage located in the UAE.

Turns out if you read the Middle East news media it centers around the Dubai assassination last year by a Mossad hit team in a Dubai hotel of a Palestinian organizer. Apparently UAE claims Canadian authorities arrested the team members to the Mossad assassin team here in Canada on Canadian soil from a UAE tip, nearly 6-months ago, but the Harper government later released them quietly without any charges (Harper is protecting an international political assassin team)... even as the flotilla massacre was taking place, and probably why the Israeli PM was here for a closed door meeting with Harper.. UAE is incensed that Canada is providing cover for an assassin team that conducted operations in their country with forged passports... and rightly so.

So Harper policy via Israel not only cost Canada a spot on the UN Security Council, but also cost Canada our ability to operate sovereign and independent in Afghanistan using our own staging bases to allow for independent operations from the Americans and British. This greatly complicates Canada`s pull out of Afghanistan scheduled for next year, as we may now have to rely on British and American policy to facilitate any Canadian logistics in the pull out... with obvious political ramifications for Canadian foreign policy.

Harper got us into a big mess with his rigid ideological neocon bend in our foreign policy. It remains to be seen how he will recover Canada`s position.

If it was me in charge... I`d relocate Camp Mirage to Mindanao Island in the Philippines... probably the most geo strategic location in the South Pacific with excellent proximity to the South China Sea and the major trans pacific shipping routes... it could play the same role Camp Mirage plays from this location... everyone speaks English there and they would welcome a steady partner in that part of the world that could facilitate very good win-win economic partnerships in areas of resources... and best of all they are all for the most part good devoted Christians that share our values and our outlook on the world providing for a secure environment in which to base from.

If Canada was to have any foreign base in the world to facilitate our geo strategic sovereignty, then Mindanao would have to be the location in my mind... close to Australia, Japan, China, the Korea`s, the worlds busiest and most strategic shipping lanes, never has typhoons due to its proximity to the equator, very close to disputed undersea natural gas that is a source of dispute between many of our allies... and close to the most probable source of future conflict in the Asia Pacific... plus a great place for our military to relax on a wind down from a place like Afghanistan before returning home.

Just another thought....

flowerchild wrote:
"you know very well the community charter doesn't allow a DBIA to do anything more than put in flower baskets and promote sidewalk sales!"

Actually I know very well that it is not limited to that at all.

I have, on several occasions, posted what is allowed by the Charter. It is actually quite far reaching. If one puts their thinking cap on, it can reach even further.

http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/03026_07

Quoting from the above link:
-------------------------------------
215 (2) A council may grant money to a corporation or other organization that has, as one of its aims, functions or purposes, the planning and implementation of a business promotion scheme.

"business promotion scheme" means

(a) CARRYING OUT STUDIES OR MAKING REPORTS respecting one or more areas in the municipality where business or commerce is carried on,

(b) IMPROVING, BEAUTIFYING OR MAINTAINING STREETS, SIDEWALKS OR MUNICIPALLY OWNED LAND, buildings or other structures in one or more business improvement areas,

(c) the removal of graffiti from buildings and other structures in one or more business improvement areas,

(d) CONSERVING HERITAGE PROPERTY in one or more business improvement areas, and

(e) ENCOURAGING BUSINESS in one or more business improvement areas.
------------------------------

The overarching principle is that the money is to be used to improve business. The very notion of improving business will, if it works, improve all or some of the businesses in the defined area. That it is the naturre of the beast. That is why the money is coming from the collective. The people who will be making those decisions are directly involved. It is actually a partnership of sorts

The cost of putting together a report dealing with tax exemptions and how that might improve business is allowed under the Charter.

Interestingly, it is also allowed to provide money to conserve heritage property. It does not specify that it needs to be in public ownership. It can be privately owned. In fact, many decades ago, Nelson was the pilot city in Canada for such a scheme when they provided incentives to remove all the facades that were put over brick and stone buildings so that the character of the city came back again.

The other use is for "beautifying" and even maintaining public streets and sidewalks. So, they could pay to remove snow, makes and hang banners, provide better lights, fix potholes, plant trees, put up new and improved canopies .... you know, all those things that the City should really be doing. As far as I am concerned, that is the last thing I would want DBIA controlled money to be used for. But it is their call, not mine.

Flowerchild wrote: "Updating the newest building in the downtown core hardly speaks to revitalization"

There is nothing that says "revitalization" has anyting to to with age of a building.

The building that was there was new. It was, however, built for a very differnt purpose. No windows so that the people were focused on gambling.

That use ended up not being viable there. So the building was altered to add windows and increase the second floor area of the building so that more rentable or saleable area was created to make the building more efficient.

The building is now no longer a piece of "kitsch" in the downtown. It is much more pleasant looking.

You also said: "the tennants are just a relocation of folks already in the area".

Where the people come from really does not matter. The fact is that the space is an increase of new space. The space that the individuals and businesses occupied is available for others now. It is also possible that they moved from places that will be renewed or even torn down. In that case, renewal will occur in another area. Businesses also change. Buildings have been torn down in the downtown area and more are coming. That means less retail/office area. The Commonwealth building is a new building and a new use. Renewal does not have to take place on the same property. Tear a building down here that housed a barber, build a new building over there to house a doctor.

That is the way of a living city.

More local I have to wonder about the management behind the Mud River East side passing lane... what a disaster. In my opinion looking at where they are today there is no way they can finish that passing lane and get it paved before snow flies... the ground is so wet now that even if they do pave it... it will frost heave big time, and it will almost have to be done again in the spring.

Problem is first major snow fall and there will be a five mile back up of traffic.

The Mud River hill is notorious for not being plowed and sanded in a timely fashion, and even if all drivers chain up when they think they might spin out... spin outs will still happen on that hill due to so many changing conditions both in the weather, on the hill, and in the units themselves sometimes... with no passing lane once one unit is spun out they all will be, because there will be no going around them in oncoming traffic at a spin out velocity.

The danger and red flag is not in the truck spun out on the East side of the Mud, but rather when the traffic backs up to the West side of the Mud. From the West side you will have fully loaded units coming around the corner at the top of the hill with speed not expecting to have to stop for backed up traffic on the hill... in spin out conditions stopping will be a challenge on the west side of the Mud. I would say there are even times when stopping is simply not possible and the more you try the more the unit will simply pick up speed in a slide.... the implications could be horrendous with multiple multiple vehicles getting caught in the process.

YRB and the RCMP should be planning for contingencies now IMO. Its obvious this project is months away from completion.

For YRB they need to recognize this danger, and if snow flies and the East Mud is down to one lane it should be a top priority to keep it clean and well sanded... furthermore if the East side does have a spin out then it should be priority to clean and sand the West Mud downhill section ASAP and as good as possible so truck traffic can stop on the hill from highway speed.

For the RCMP in the event of a spin out on the East Mud and a blockage of the road due to the single lane (most probably during Rush hour) then the RCMP should have a car with its lights on at the top of the West Mud to slow traffic down because all highway trucks have to slow down to 60kmph when passing a police unit with its lights on and that's the only sign a trucker will have of the impending line up of cars on the hill. A YRB unit will not work as they will be busy fixing the hill conditions and by law a highway truck is not required to slow down to 60 for a highway truck with its lights on, whereas they are for an RCMP unit with its lights on.

Just some heads up... looks like this will be a real eventuality in the coming weeks is all.

Are you talking about these squatters along the Davao, eagleone?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9744833@N04/4294989644

They could possibly increase the height of the stilts on more solid looking buildings such as the ones in this photo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23500070@N06/3029165817