The City of Courtenay announced on April 30 that it has secured $6.8 million in funding for the 6th Street pedestrian/cycle bridge.

While we applaud the city on getting funding, we question what council鈥檚 motivation surrounding the bridge has been.

From what we can tell, and have heard, it鈥檚 certainly not demand.

Yes, there is a small group of Comox Valley residents that has been lobbying for this bridge for some time. But, based on online polls, letters to the editor, and phone calls to the newspaper, the majority of residents are outraged at the decision.

Yes, some of the money is federal, but nearly 50 per cent of the costs ($3.383 million) is coming from the city coffers.

Only $2.5 million comes from a fund dedicated to active transport, so the argument that 鈥渋t鈥檚 like 鈥榝ree money鈥� and if we don鈥檛 take it, another city will鈥� is not the case.

What concerns us is the city鈥檚 priorities.

Last year we conducted a poll among Courtenay council members regarding what they see as the three most important issues in the city. The mayor and all six councillors responded. Every one of them listed supportive/affordable housing as the most important issue.

Yet, when last year鈥檚 $7.65 million Growing Communities grant was given to the city, with very few restrictions on how to spend it, the city chose to spend $1 million on this bridge, another $1.5 million on McPhee Meadows (a park that has yet to be built), $2 million on an east end fire hall, $1 million on playgrounds, another million on the implementation of the 鈥楶arks Rec Master Plan鈥欌�� and $655,000 on affordable housing. Supportive housing was not listed at all.

It鈥檚 sad that while this council talks a good talk when discussing homelessness, their actions speak much louder.