MONEY THERE FOR HEALTH FACILITIES: PREMIER

The B.C. government has the money for drug addiction and mental
health facilities, if cities can find the sites, says the premier.

Gordon Campbell, in Maple Ridge Monday on a pre-election tour, was
responding to two questions forwarded by mayoralty candidates,
Michael Sather and Gordy Robson.

Sather, an NDP MLA, wanted to know what Campbell would do to provide
detox services for this area.

And Mayor Gordy Robson pointed out there are no facilities for
long-term (90 days) drug rehab and follow up, particularly for kids.

Campbell said there's money available for drug or mental health
facilities if cities provide the land and the zoning.

"We're always looking for partners in those things. Whether it's
Michael Sather or Gordy Robson, if they can find locations, if they
can find sites, we're certainly glad to work with them."

The premier was in the area to mark the two-thirds completion of the
$198-million Pitt River Bridge.

The bridge is ahead of schedule, Campbell noted, following a photo op
on the bridge an hour earlier with MP James Moore and Transportation
Minister Kevin Falcon. The B.C. government covered $108 million,
while the federal government added $90 million for the seven-lane
structure, set to open next summer.

It's the second time in as many weeks Falcon was in Pitt Meadows,
after an appearance at the chamber of commerce luncheon.

While the Pitt River Bridge won't be tolled, the Golden Ears Bridge
to Langley will be, as will the new twinned Port Mann Bridge.

But people understand that projects can't be built for free and just
as the tolls came off the Lions Gate Bridge and the Coquihalla
Highway, they'll also be removed from the Port Mann, Campbell said.

In a report issued last week by the Fraser Institute, B.C.'s
transportation system was ranked second last in the country. "I can't
speak for the Fraser Institute, but I'm always glad to hear what they
have to say," Campbell responded.

With TransLink reconfigured under the new South Coast B.C.
Transportation Authority, he said no one level of government makes
the transportation decisions or has a veto on transportation projects.

"We try to respond to local needs. We try to lay out a plan that will
. get local communities to reinforce that plan with the decisions they make."

Under the new Provincial Transit Plan announced in January, the
government announced $14 billion for RapidBus routes, more buses and
extension or creation of the Evergreen, Expo, UBC and Canada Line
rapid transit routes.

The schedule for some of those projects, Campbell wouldn't say which,
could be accelerated under Campbell's 10-point economic plan
announced last week.

With lower interest rates and a slowdown in construction, the
government could get better bang for its bucks for projects it knows
have to be done in the long term.

Advancing the projects would also maintain the construction
workforce, so that the crews on the Pitt River Bridge could end up
working on the Port Mann. B.C. still faces a labour shortage despite
the economic slowdown, he added.

Campbell estimated the province's budget surplus could be half the
projected earlier figure of $1.7 billion.

He wouldn't say if B.C. will follow Quebec, Nova Scotia and
Newfoundland and ban cellphone use while driving. Ontario also now
could be considering such a bill.

Campbell said ICBC has been looking at a cellphone ban, however. "I
think we have to look to see whether it will reflect itself in public
safety or not."