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Letter: This is our land

The Editor, I would ask residents of the Tri-Cities to guard the land owned by the communities.
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The Editor,

I would ask residents of the Tri-Cities to guard the land owned by the communities.

That land, left to us by those who have gone before and stored for our future beneficial use, is held in trust by us and by our councils for generations to come.

Its use should be governed by the cities forever and never be sold off for short-term gain, even if that includes some element of social or below-market housing.

While it is easy to be lured into surrendering ownership to a developer who includes in a much larger project some small portion of the dwellings to be affordable rentals or condos or small homes, that temptation should be resisted by the electorate in favour of perpetual ownership of the land and different forms of construction partnerships so that future generations’ needs are not sacrificed for today’s warped markets.

This land is a key element in a long-term, sustainable growth strategy.

Once surrendered, that land is lost forever, so let’s not let that happen.

George Elgstrand, Port Moody