It’s as common as a grey day in March. At 3 p.m., the Cut begins backing up and by rush hour, east-west travel on the North Shore becomes a crawl, testing the tempers of even the most patient among us.
The most commonly blamed culprits are our growing population and residential redevelopment. But, it seems we may have made a wrongful conviction. According to stats released by the province, the North Shore has barely budged in population in the last five years. In fact, West Vancouver is shrinking and there are fewer people living on the North Shore today than there were a year ago.
According to BC Stats, in a region where growth and densification are the norm, we’re the laggards despite how it may appear.
We understand how this information will rub people the wrong way. It goes so strongly against what they can see with their own eyes and intuitively put together. The reality is probably far more complex.
Is this a result of downsizers selling to investors who leave their new homes empty? Maybe.
Is it an indication that we’re relying on our two bridges and one SeaBus to import more workers than we used to? That’s much more likely.
It’s time we started having a more evidence-based debate about the problems of and solutions for the North Shore.
The latest census results are due out next month, which will bring a lot of valuable information on our population, employment trends, demographics and commuting.
We look forward to reading them in detail. We ignore the data or rely on “alternative facts” at our own peril.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
