UnCanada Line

Posted by
Filed in City
July 26, 2006

I am hereby obliged to ruin the boundless optimism and general good news of the post below, as I am a bubbling cauldron of pessimism and rage. I feel it is my duty to be a Debbie Downer to the citizens of this almost great city. We have a tendency to dwell on our greatness, and feel the need to build sexy, hyped-up, purely aesthetic mega-projects that often leave the taxpayer on the hook. We have a rich history of it.

Much of the kafuffle over the RAV, erm sorry, Canada Line, has been over the big switch to cut and cover construction and the subsequent disaster for Cambie merchants. But there hasn't been much mention of the company that is doing the construction, SNC Lavalin, who make bullets that kill Iraqis. Enter intermittent trouble makers the Bus Riders Union who are calling the project "a racist, anti-people project that uses public money to advance the interests of corporations and neo-liberal governments".

"Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people!" Oh wait, that was the SLA not the BRU. Despite all their rhetoric they bring up some good points, like that while 80% of transit users ride the bus exclusively TransLink keeps pouring billions into privatized Skytrain lines. And that migrant workers from Costa Rica, China and the Philippines are being paid sub-minimum wages to build it.

They are picketing tomorrow outside the Canada Line office.

When: Wednesday, July 26 at 6pm
Where: Canada Line Office (409 Granville Street)

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I don't know anything about the details of how it's being built. I do know that having a skytrain link to the airport will greatly benefit the city.

Posted by: dustin at July 26, 2006 2:56 AM | Quote Comment

You must not don't know anything about the details of how it's being built.

Posted by: sean orr at July 26, 2006 8:59 AM | Quote Comment

I am so happy you just posted this. I just recently found out about migrant workers being paid so little to build this mess of a project. Supporters of our present boom to add more and more infrastructure to our city frame it within the context of economic growth and job creation, when in reality the big businesses are the only ones profiting. What they're doing is criminal and more people need to know about it...then we need to act to stop it.

Posted by: Lana at July 26, 2006 10:08 AM | Quote Comment

what a creepy picture!

Posted by: degan at July 26, 2006 10:26 AM | Quote Comment

Yeah, this whole fucking Canada Line thing makes me feel super disappointed in Vancouver for letting it happen. i hope the rally is well-attended.

Posted by: statusq at July 26, 2006 4:21 PM | Quote Comment

Hmm... I just passed through a BRU scrum on Granville. They were speaking quietly over a megaphone about how the war needs to stop; the one over seas and the one here against the transit riders.

I think that the BRU aren't that organized at the best of times, but the dozen or so participants in this picket were the most bored and lifeless activists I've seen. "Are we going to take it?" asked the bored high school teacher, and the kids gathered responded half-heartedly "No..."

I was all ready to post a vitriolic rant about how they were basically equating the bombing of civilians in a foreign land with a lack of buses at 3:00am... Calling Translink's actions "war" is an insult to anyone ducking bombs or the families of those caught there. It was cheap and made me lose the last bit of respect I had for the idea of a Bus Riders' Union.

So, instead of double-posting transit rants, I'll just tack it onto the bottom of your post like a contract rider.

Posted by: Richard Murray