LETTER: Remember benefits to community from CP Rail, Maple Ridge man says

Dear Editor,

The Jan. 29, 21 issue of The News had two side by side articles by yourself: the first Group wants CP projects halted and the second City wants more taxes from CP Rail. There was a subsequent article titled No more Big Ideas a few weeks later.

All three have a common thread.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was probably the single most big idea in Canadian history. Its completion ensured British Columbia’s entry into Confederation, shaped the urban development of Western Canada, and most definitely determined the shape and size of each population center in the Lower Mainland.

Initially, most everyone wanted to locate as close as possible to the stations along its route, hoping for the jobs, economic spin-offs, and transportation benefits it would provide. Every day CP Rail continues to do this, helping to drive the economy of this country, and provide the type of employment that economists refer to as recession proof.

I don’t want to go into a long history lesson, but CP’s big ideas, plus some good luck, have made it one of the most successful companies in this country’s history. We should applaud and encourage these “Big Ideas” continued success.

I don’t understand the city’s Utopian mindset that wishes to retard CP’s expansion plans, but also wishes to increase its tax burden. What foolishness!

This isn’t Disneyland. Real world economies can be dirty, smelly, and noisy, but properly managed can provide economic opportunity for many people, and for the most part, that is what most average people want.

Without it there is only poverty and despair. We should all, especially our political leadership, encourage economic development and wealth creation which in turn ensures steadily increasing tax revenue which will in turn help ensure our continued high standard of living.

Maybe it is time for you to introduce your readers to a little lesson in CP Rail history, or better still, contact their PR department and ask for a submission detailing CP’s deep Canadian historical roots and the substantial benefits it provides to this community and many others.

Rod Moritz, Maple Ridge

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