Still awaiting a reply from MHA or premier on Colinet’s road

Dear Editor,

In desperation, I am again taking the liberty of writing a letter to the current provincial government in connection with the still unfinished gravel road from Colinet to Whitbourne. One of the oldest in the province, this road is extremely important to the residents of Colinet and surrounding areas. In recent years, its majority was finally upgraded and paved. Incredibly, however, approximately 8 to 10 kilometres was left unfinished – the section closest to Colinet. Pavement now ends at Markland, a community located between Colinet and Whitbourne. Imagine our frustration.

To say that we feel discarded is an understatement. This road, a lifeline for the people of our area, connects us to employment, food, medical and dental care, as well as legal and financial services. Traffic along the route from Colinet to Markland has increased considerably in recent years, yet the road remains unfinished.

The gravel section of our road to Markland is, at best, deplorable, at worst, nearly impassable. Enormous potholes and jagged rocks destroy our vehicles and create hazardous driving. In spring, heavy rain and poor drainage create soft, deep mud and huge ruts. Unsuspecting tourists who have experienced the horrendous driving conditions, seldom return to visit our beautiful part of the province. No wonder!

Perhaps our deluded decision-makers think that the residents of our community should be heading towards Placentia to access goods and services? We would happily do so, under half-decent driving conditions, however, that forgotten 28-kilometre stretch of dirt road is currently little more than a glorified ATV trail for the many cabin owners who have property there. It is so disheartening to think that our gravel road to Placentia had actually, in recent years, been upgraded and was ready for pavement – a several million-dollars project approved and funded by the previous Conservative government. What a waste of tax dollars. The outgoing Conservative government spent so much money on upgrading, only to have the newly elected Liberal government drop the project.

Hopefully, our MHA, the Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, or our provincial leader, Premier Andrew Furey, can address the concerns I have tried my best to outline. I hope they will explain why, when the Liberals were elected and the government changed in 2015, the nearly-completed Placentia road project was immediately abandoned. That decision, as well as the decision to leave the road between Colinet and Markland unpaved, can only be interpreted as either a total lack of understanding of the needs of rural communities or an oppressive lack of commitment, from the Liberal government, to make the kinds of improvements so vital to rural community survival. Sadly, survival is about all we can hope for now. Deplorable roads make any type of growth and development here highly unlikely.

Over the last several years, we have written letters to government, conducted meetings, participated in media interviews, signed petitions and organized peaceful demonstrations, lobbying for change. I am making this letter public now because my previous letters have gone unanswered, and I want to ensure that our voices are being heard. We ask that our local MHA and/or the Premier of our province, pay us the courtesy of a reply. We are seeking answers to some very important questions and, at the very least, deserve a response.

Respectfully,

William Davis

Colinet, St. Mary’s Bay