It is interesting how

It is interesting how "investors" always want to deregulate, until taken over by disasters, then demand the government and the taxpayer to bale them out.

"Taxation" is a dirty, nasty word until it has to come to save their necks.

Like the idiots who ski and snowboard outside the marked areas, then scream for the volunteers and tax paid equipment to come and risk ther lives for them.

With most town councils under "righties", theres no question this "wealth creating" development will go on, transferring the real costs on the taxpayers.

Ed Deak.

Fools rush in

So much for not allowing urban development in a floodplain!

What a mess we are planning for!

Like Ed said, developers cry to be able to develop floodplain/waterfront and then once its built and is flooded they ask why were we allowed to build in a floodplain?

Sheesh, we never learn, and especially not at the expense of profit/greed!

Maybe house boats are the answer

Maybe house boats are the answer or converted barges, hey how about a FastFerry or two! Better build higher and wider dikes, or better yet not build there at all!

It can be planned for.

freebear

As long as it is done right flood levels can be planned for. The catch is, just what is right.

FWIW This article is a little premature. The Province is only on day 3 of the series and I am waiting to see if there is any reference to the Nechako River and whether it can be used for flood control or not. It is a significant tributary that can have water flow regulated even more than it is now by the Kenney Dam.

Have your cake and eat it too!

Well then I suppose if there is a flood you will not ask for didsaster relief then Snert since it was a planned floodplain development!

At what point would you move out of tornado alley?

And you, no doubt, live in an earthquake zone.

freebear

This is a new development that is being talked about. There is absolutely no reason it can't be done by taking reasonable precautions. What are you trying to say, that the Dutch are stupid people.

The Dutch

No the Dutch are not stupid (your words), but definetely risk takers! I suppose a people, or Nation will do anything do hang onto territory, less than conquering other Nations!

I wonder how much higher and much reinforcing the Dutch dikes will need to address climate change and subsequent sea level rise?

I wonder how much that will cost?

I supopose it is the same as people insisting on building in an avalanche area.

I just do not want to pay for their relief after the next avalanche!

Earthquake

freebear

There are very few areas of this province (BC) that have little or no risk associated with them. Just ask the people living in Kelowna how they feel about fire.

My point is that building in a floodplain is a manageable risk. Far easier to manage than living in an earthquake zone which has known mag 9 quakes in the past.

I guess that if you don't don't want to pay for people's relief after a disaster you must expect the very same treatment. I hope your house never burns down. Even if it is insured you'll still be relying oh the help of others.

There is an irony that every time Northshore Search & Rescue imperils their lives to find some dumb out-of-bounds skier we get a training session thrown into the deal. At some point in time these peoples skills may come in real handy in a large disaster and we will be able to thank these crash test dummies for providing live practice sessions.

People complain about these costs all the time without thinking of the benefits.

calling all lefties

this is what really bothers me about you people. you people couldn't care less about where it is being built, you care that it is being built.

you people hate development and don't pretend you care about a few well off people losing homes, they will undoubtedly insure.

What area ACTUALLY is 100 %

What area ACTUALLY is 100 % SAFE?

This topic is with respect to concerns with development if FLOOD prone areas.

Do people read this and then decide to locate on higher ground? We seem to have issues with FLOODING on hillsides when rains overwhelm streams...as well as slope INstability.

Maybe Barriere BC is safest...the major forest fire they had has seriously reduced THAT risk...but do you want to live there ? It will regrow.

After the sh!te hits the fan...people simply rebuild, whether it was San Fransisco earthquakes, Hurricanes in South east US...Tsunamis ...best one can do is minimize the risk.

Car 54 over....

Yeah sarge that's a big 10-4 on the development over. Er over development over. The overdevelopment definition comes in where we already have what "ecologists" may refer to as a fully developed, functioning ecosystems. I know that you lower brain functioning righties are screwing up your faces in confusion over that statment, so I will try and simplify for you. A forest for example would be a fully developed ecological area. Hosting plant and animal life in perfect balance! This balance is lost when your type bulldoze and/or slash and burn the forest down to raise cattle for mcburgers, rendering it useless for generations to come. Or perhaps.... Some swamp lands like the everglades that already perform an important role in say flood control, so perhaps it's not the best place to drain and build your 10,000 sq ft. home. I don't expect you to understand this as you haven't ever shown any comprehension about the natural world around you. You speak in terms of economics and growth, and of other human systems in conflict with nature as if nature was the obstacle blocking our development. Stupid humans like you bring us closer to what we call extinction. That's where a species disappears from existance, ceases to be, it is deceased, six feet under, pushing up the daisies, never to return and will be no more. A late species. Gone the way of the dinosauer, worm fo....

I guess that makes two of you.

clubofrome

The problem is overpopulation plain and simple. Rather than berate your fellow man get out and spread the birth control gospel far and wide or at some point in time this piece of the planet you think you are protecting will get swamped by humanity.

I always find it amazing that it hasn't been already.

Mission's Old Downtown, pre-'48

Worth mentioning here that the area in question is Mission's old commercial downtown, pre-1948, a flood year which wasn't mentioned in the article (?) but which in Mission's case was the maker-breaker, not 1894 (after which Mission prospered, in fact).

Back before the ramps and caissons/pylons of the Mission Bridge were in place (long before the bridge itself, which took years to finish, a la vraie colombienne, Mission's pre-'48 downtown was still part of downtown. But in those days there was the level crossing at the foot of Horne, and not the steep near-switchback of the Murray St Overpass, and there were still a number of important businesses down there, including the local Safeway; once the fill for the on-ramps was in the area was majorly rearranged, and the overpass made it an extra psychological leap from the main part of (post-'48) downtown, First Avenue aka Main Street (aka once-upon-a-time Washington Avenue). And in the days when waiting for the one-way traffic light on the old rail bridge crossing, there was money to be made hawking drinks and pop and dogs to the line-up; not that that keeps a neighbourhood going, but it still was a neighbourhood. Now, I note in the article that there's only a half-dozen homes down there, and I know Safeway's dead as a duck, at least at that location (not sure what's in there now).

What I'm getting at is that, although still half-alive until the 1970s, the area to be developed has been largely a ghost-town since the '48 flood, which wiped out Mission as the main commercial centre in the valley despite the town's small footprint on the floodplain (Matsqui Village, just across the bridge, got it a lot worse and prior to the flood had been nearly as important as Mission, when Abbotsford was a mere blip in the farmland). So it's been a "dead zone" on Mission's waterfront, and frankly kind of depressing - bleak, pavement, vacant or half-vacant industries, big sandfill onramps, junkyards.

OK, it's on the floodplain and it's a stupid place to build anything; but better to build with modern anti-quake and anti-flood measures than without them. There's no reason to grouse on Mission for wanting to develop its waterfront when Westminster Quay is the perfect comparison and it's doing just fine (though eminently flood-able); this kind of redevelopment of Mission's flats I would have thought would have followed quickly on the heels of the West Coast Express - with CP no less cashing in its industrial land holdings in Mission for condo development, but clearly it took local initiative to conceive of that.

Adding in a commuter/shopper rail service to Abbotsford/Clearbrook (and connecting from there to a revived interurban line) and, ahem, to Lynden and Bellingham, would restore part of Mission's old importance as a rail junction, i.e. before the New Westminster rail bridge was opened, all rail traffic from the States to Vancouver went through Mission (except for what got barged across farther downstream, maybe); Mission's key location in the rail network were part of the reasons for its one-time proposed names, East Vancouver and (wait for it) North Seattle.

So, flood warnings aside and despite my usual gloom-and-doom forecasts of a megatsunami from Mt Breakenridge wiping out the Lower Fraser Valley, or a subsidence of Richmond causing a huge backwash of Georgia Strait waters up the Fraser Valley, there's no reason to single out the proposed redevelopment of Mission's waterfront vs. any of the other follies being perpetrated on the floodplain between Hope and the Gulf of Georgia. And I do think it would go a long way to making downtown Mission just a little less stagnant, and might even make the old downtown into a rather pleasant little yuppieville, a la Yaletown even (gasp, did I say that?). Better that than another Clearbrook......

Over Population

Snert, you said:

"The problem is overpopulation plain and simple. Rather than berate your fellow man get out and spread the birth control gospel far and wide or at some point in time this piece of the planet you think you are protecting will get swamped by humanity.
I always find it amazing that it hasn't been already."

But wouldn't population control limit consumption and therefore threaten economic growth? (being sarcastic!)

And without economic growth oh my goodness; lots of hand wringing! LOL!

Talk about mixed messages!

We are told Canadians are saving less money nowadays; yet also told we must continue to spend to buoy the economy!

Sheeeeesh!

gospel according to snert

That's pretty obvious given consumption rates. Population and consumption, soon too, after this unprecedented exponential period of growth, will crash. There are "limits to growth." But there is no stopping the momentum now. Too many people and too much want for wealth and modern conveniences. Even too much need for clean water and food.... I'm sure the mold is set now and we can attempt damage control, but forget setting limits on population. We could look at consumption but no one wants to go back to teepee living.

And just for clarification, maestro and capitalism may be the same species but they are not my kind of fellows. Perhaps you are right though, I shouldn't berate them. How are you with ridcule?

Canadians are too good at it.

Here's an interesting perspective.

It may take a while to download.

Your blood boils easier than mine.

clubofrome

Go for it.

clubo' forkedheadsinrome

Remember, you have been summoned to Jury Duty in Kangaroo Court.

PS I am sure glad your transmissions from the Moon are still getting through. Did Neil Armstrong leave you enough food ? Tang? Just add the local water !

Try not to impact that Lunar environment TOO much.

G'Day .

" What's safe ?" Part II

Every place is potentially a "stupid place to live" and every building method is potentially a stupid one as well , depending on the situation and circumstances .

When I see these densification projects go up I think of those earthquake photos ie KOBE Japan,
and how many of hose High Rise towers will pancake,like NYC's 9/11 WTC.

Of course that Hi-Rise density reduces the Enviro footprint, but God help those stuck in those concrete buildings. I'll do my best to help with my 10 lb. sledge hammer and various hand tools.

The BIG ONE is due with each passing day, yet they build more and more of these Hi- Rises each day .

PS You all know the peripheral use of HOCKEY RINKS in Emergency Preparedness Plans don't you..ie to be used as refrigerated MORGUES.

Too much Heat?

Listen maestro of his own domain, you've missed the point so many times now that it's embarassing. I think that some folk around here would listen to you if you packed up the lefty bullshite. Just grow out of it, That one simple thing. You seem to have unlimited local knowledge, which I think can be a valuable contribution here. Focus on that. Then later, if you're good, we'll work on your sense of humor....

Club-sky

Your point is very s-i-m-p-l-e, as are you quite often, but like I say there is ALWAYS hope.

Do you seriously think many of us haven't heard your version of " free speech " before ?

Is there anything e-l-s-e you wish to add....Monsieur Club-sky ?

Here is a TIP:

Check the "outing " that just occurred on the current TYEE Boys vs Girls school issue.

Not much of a tip...

Not sure what you're alluding to, but I don't take myself that seriously. I'm unique, just like everyone else. I don't really feeling like reading through a whole thread to find your tip. Why don't you just tell me straight up, like I'm trying to do with you? I'll also apologize for the FU contests, not eveyone understands the game. It's meant more of a battle of wits, but some may be offended. I'm not that sensitive. I don't mind being ganged up on either, as it causes me to re-think my position, perhaps I'm missing something. I can't be right all the time... I'm all for lightening things up, a little change in direction.

Trouble...?

I here the cry of injustice! Where's my cape? Must change into superhero identity now. Faster than a speeding Dolphin, more powerful than a Blue Whale... it's... it's... Ron Erwin? The cat is out of the bag. The gig is up. Wonder no more. Take back those sleepless nights. Rest easy as I AM Canadian!

Club-sky

FYI, your Moon signal is getting through, congrats .

However, you are backpeddling and simultaneously crapping your pants...make sure your feet are faster than your spastic sphincter.

Ah.....The smell of fear...careful that Taco Bell chihuahua doesn't swallow you whole.

ADVICE: Remember what your Shop Teacher used to tell you..." measure twice.... cut once "...Sub in " Thinking " for " measure" , and you figure out the rest.

You DON'T plan on having little Clubfrome's , do ya ?

At least have the decency to warn us.

May the flea's of a thousand camels...

Sorry, didn't mean to side track you from your special mission. Please carry on as the all knowing, and unfortunately, all telling Karnac of the Tyee. What kind of a loser has time to sit around and read/comment on every thread? What kind of ego centric delusion tells you that you should give your opinion on every topic? You are beyond blow hard. As I pegged you from the start, you are an abuser and you think you can fool us into believing you have a family? You?!? They are long gone, free from your abusive, intollerant behaviour. Consider all forms of courtesy offered to you as withdrawn. You will get what you give. The sooner the better too! Please go outside and repeat your behaviour, I want to see you on the news!! What a creep.

CLUBBED-sky

Re Karnac:

Now really... why are you so vile against G WEST?

How UNbecoming of you .

I know you are as pissed off at G WEST and his TYEE scam as the rest of us...but you really should lay off him.

If the aforementioned has abused their family, report it...maybe you can get a Crimestopper Reward.

Maybe turn in your own adult role models too.

Yiikkkeess.

It's YOUR type we will see on the news...usual psycho Leftie.

Back to school...it's a 1/2 day, remember? and bring a change of clothes.

I'd hide if I were you too...

Hey maestro, all of you criminally insane make mistakes sooner or later allowing your true identity to be exposed. You don't fool anyone here with your incoherent babble. The few times you do pretend to be "family guy" concerned with education, it's just a smoke screen. You're already in prison, loser. You think people can't recognize anti-social behaviour from what you've written? You truly are delusional. Are you foaming up yet? Maybe you are on the outside, but you'll offend again. It's only a matter of time. Like I've said before get help, you're sick.

club-sky

Gee:

You are phu-knee ( or is it phuk nee? )

Now wave the white-sky flag-sky.

maestro + nightbloom

nightbloom: Gee maestro you make excellent points!
maestro: left-sky BLAH/ arghhh thrppppt?????? Left, your left... Wave the flag-sky, (phuk nee)? leftinettes... (drool)-/sky!!

I'll stick with the majority and continue to mock you. Now that you have the Ron Erwin award what's the chance you will start working on a Darwin award?

club-sky

Do you sustain yourself by sucking farts out of dead rocks ?

Try eating your own head.

You are your one and O-N-L-Y majority.

errr: majority-"sky"

Split personality!

Nice. Let me guess? Foaming at the mouth, angry with the world, kick the dog mood?