The Vancouver Island Party Makes An Impact

The Vancouver Island Party (VIP) is pleased that B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark, after years of neglect, is launching, for the first time ever, a Vancouver Island – specific platform for the May 9, 2017 provincial election. B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan is also stressing Vancouver Island in his party’s platform.

The Vancouver Island Party claims credit for the other parties’ new focus on Vancouver Island and invites them, as well as the BC Green and the BC Conservative parties, to adopt any or all of our comprehensive policy platform proposals for Vancouver Island. After all, when the voters of the Island’s 14 ridings elect VIP MLAs next year, it will be our job to convince the governing party to do what is best for all VanIslers.

The VIP’s motto is “Island First & Proud of It.” 

 The VIP is premised on the belief that by electing MLAs to the British

Columbia Legislature, Vancouver Island will ensure a committed voice dedicated to creating a stronger region in British Columbia economically, socially, environmentally and culturally.

Since the forced merger by England of the two sister colonies in 1866 (150 years ago from last year), both federal and provincial governments have largely ignored Vancouver Island. This must change!

Our website, www.VanIsleParty.com, contains the VIP platform and governance system. As a political party, we are fiscally responsible, socially progressive, environmentally green and culturally respectful.

Some regional VIP policies other political parties may consider adopting are:

•  Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems for the South, Central and North Island regions.
• A rebuild and upgrade of the existing E&N Railway in its entirety to Class 3, including continuous weld, from Victoria to Courtney, with an extension to Campbell River and potential extension to Port Hardy.
• An extension of the E&N Railway from Port Alberni to Long Beach with spur lines from Ucluelet to Tofino.
• A road and rail connection bridging Seymour Narrows just north of Campbell River to Quadra, Sonoro and Stuart Islands to the Bute Inlet to the interior of BC. This was the original 1871 Confederation promise to British Columbia.
• Support of the Port Alberni Port Authority $1.7 billion Port Alberni Container Trans-Shipment Hub (PATH) project.
• A road and rail connection from Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni.
• A road and rail connection from Lake Cowichan to Bamfield with a BC Ferries service from Bamfield to Ucluelet. We call this The West Island Transportation Corridor.
• A floating bridge from near Mill Bay to the Saanich Peninsula to access quickly and safely the Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay BC Ferries Terminal. This will allow VanIslers to avoid the often and, at times, congested and deadly Malahat. We call this The Malahat Bypass Project.
•  In the very near future, we aspire to become a new province of Canada with favourable negotiated provincial Terms of Confederation.  (VIP crossed flags logo)

As a former Canadian Member of Parliament (MP), economist and public policy analyst, I (Robin Richardson) can attest that province-hood will yield more benefits to Vancouver Island’s 765,000 citizens than merely continuing to be a region of British Columbia.

We have a large, but achievable, vision for Vancouver Island and we invite everyone to be a part of it.