Council refers last-ditch LRT letter to lawyers

Councillors have directed the city’s lawyers to report back on a letter from environmental law specialist John Tidball on behalf of nine businesses concerned about LRT. The letter asks the city to consider pursuing a “full environmental assessment” for the light rail transit line rather than the streamlined environmental project report used under the current Transit Project Assessment Process. “Such an assessment may well persuade council that the disadvantages of the LRT project to the environment far outweigh the advantages, and that another alternative is preferred,” reads the letter. Council recently voted to submit the amended environmental study on the project to the province. A month of public comment is now complete and the environment minister has 35 days to approve the document or ask for more work to be done.