In 2004, four levels of government — municipal, regional, provincial and federal — spent $73 million to purchase and protect 5,000 acres of the Burns Bog for future generations. At the time, Burns Bog Conservation Society president Eliza Burns might have been forgiven for thinking the battle to preserve the distinct ecosystem had been won. But a mere two years later, the area that has been called "the lungs of the Lower Mainland" is once again under siege. This time, it is from the provincial government's Gateway Program, established "in response to the impact of growing regional congestion" and its intention to extend the South Fraser Perimeter Road so that it runs immediately to the north and west of the Burns Bog Conservation Area. The promise? According to the government, the new four-lane highway will "provide a continuous and efficient route to serve port facilities, rail yards and industrial areas along this key economic corridor, and will also benefit commuters."

Olson and the Burns Bog Conservation Society are mounting a determined campaign to force the government to abide by their promise to protect this portion of a distinct ecosystem. Says Olson, "We need to tell them that solutions to urban problems must adapt to the needs of our environment. Absorbed in the hpresent, they have lost the sight of nature's importance in securing our future."

Olson and her colleagues and neigbours are urging the public to enter the debate, claiming that alternate solutions to the Gateway's highway plans have been suggested but ignored. For more, visit the Burns Bog Conservation Society's website at www.burnsbog.org.

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