Editorial in today's Sun...

[Canucks fan]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...6-bb62cc5b9b4e

quote:Soccer stadium needs a second look
Don Larson, Special to the Sun
Published: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Why would anyone risk soccer moms and kids by placing a new Whitecaps Stadium beside a huge railway shunting yard that carries dangerous chemicals?

Do we want even the remote possibility of mixing soccer or music fans with "trichloroisocyanuric acid" during a half-time hotdog munch?

The 2004 emergency response guidebook states "inhalation, ingestion by contact (skin, eyes) with vapours or substance may cause severe injury, burns or death." And this is a direct quote from the joint publication by Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Next on the list of concerns to local residents is noise. At up to 92 decibels, the Whitecaps Stadium should keep working-class families and young professionals living nearby up at all hours.

Vehicle congestion before and after each event will be a problem, too. In spite of public transit, about two-thirds of those going to the proposed Whitecaps Stadium will use private vehicles.

And what about the $131-million vehicle ramp that would have to be built to get cars from the stadium to Granville Street?

Is it David Beckham or Posh Spice who is going to pay for this? Oh, the taxpayer?

Women's groups in the Downtown Eastside have expressed concerns about Carrall Street pedestrian overpass will likely be built over the railway tracks and to the Whitecaps Stadium.

Can you say: "New Granville brawl, er, mall?"

Libby Davies, MP for Vancouver East, in her letter to federal Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon, says, "I believe that core value for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is to develop, sustain and enhance port infrastructure as a nexus for trade and transportation for the long term; and that this value serves local, regional and national economic interests -- none of which is compatible with the development of a soccer stadium."

I agree.

Don Larson is a community activist in Vancouver.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

I thought the crackpots had gone away?




sunopinion@png.canwest.com or sunletters@png.canwest.com if anyone is interested in writing a reply to counter this bs (which I hope to get around to doing sometime this weekend)

[Blue and White Army]

I sent in a letter this morning:

Re: Don Larson's op-ed "Soccer stadium needs a second look" (April 16).

Shame on Don Larson for making such misleading arguments against the proposed Vancouver soccer stadium.

First, he attempts to cause fear by suggesting that toxic substances on railtracks may cause "injury, burns or death" to match-goers if an accident were to occur. If Larson genuinely worries that such a freak mishap might happen, then surely his goal should be to ban toxic substances from the entire downtown Vancouver area. Why does Larson specifically pick on the proposed soccer stadium?

Second, he quotes MP Libby Davies by saying that port lands should remain in port ownership. The reality is that the current proposal would see the amount of waterfront land held by the Port Authority increase by two hectares after a land swap with the Whitecaps.

Third, Larson is suggesting that the majority of stadium-goers would take their cars. With SkyTrain, WestCoast Express, SeaBus and buses all within walking distance, the Vancouver soccer stadium would be the most public transportation-friendly stadium in the world, allowing people from all across Metro Vancouver to leave their cars at home.

Are there any more absurd arguments that Larson would like to scramble up in his desperation to discredit the proposed Vancouver soccer stadium?

[piltdownman]

I'll bite. Trichloroisocyanuric acid is a type of chlorine for great sake.
Thank You for the heads up

[Mpenza]

I believe the real issue with trains carrying dangerous chemicals is... WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Why is it becoming an issue now? I'm pretty sure that if the "local residents" had the choice between a railyard with trains loaded with chemicals and a soccer stadium, they'd choose option 2...

[Rudi]

I love that the noise is going to keep local residents up at all hours.

As if soccer games are played at 3am, and the downtown area of a major city is akin to a library at any other time.

[Blue and White Army]

Email these points in as letters, boys!

[ag futbol]

I had to laugh reading this.

Kerfoot really needs to ditch the nice guy routine for the "I'm going to ram this up your a$$ whether you like it or not" persona. The stadium is failing because there isn't enough of a public champion to drive this deal home. Someone needs to be out there not just fending off these stupid nimbys but telling people what the benefits of this stadium really are.

This should really be a one sided arguement, in the opposite direction of what it is right now.

[finchster]

Ok this has gone too far now Kerfoot, time to act like Donald Trump and get what you want. Be a d*ck and get it done

[piltdownman]

I am writing in response to the article entitled “Soccer Stadium needs a Second look”

I for one am baffled by Don Larson's arguments against the proposed Whitecaps stadium. While “trichloroisocyanuric acid”, sounds very dangerous, in truth it is simply a disinfectant(chlorine) used mostly in civil pools and spas. As for the noise, it should be noted that, in the current plan, the stadium will border the water, the port and the rail yard, not buildings filled with working class families. It should also be noted that 92 decibels is not very loud at all, and is the the relative loudness of a Motorcycle.

Larson shows a real desperate in his arguments against the stadium, by hiding non-issues behind scientific jargon. I only hope that those who control the fate of this project do not fall for such cheap trickery.

[piltdownman]

Off topic but if anyone is looking for ideas maybe mention that in many European cities your ticket to the game is also a transit ticket to and from the match. This encourages people to take transit to events, and is something that the city might want to promote transit.