Dear editor,

I would hope that most people will be able to negotiate a left-turn lane on the Dyke Road in order to frequent the proposed gas station, contrary to the rather long-winded, apocalyptic opinion expressed by the Sierra Club last week.

I鈥檝e only lived in the Valley for 25 years, but as best I can remember, there has always been some sort of business operating at the site of the proposed gas station (boatyard, car lot, paint store, antique shop, etc.).

Left (and right!) turns have been made onto the site for quite some time. Local cyclists should also be OK provided they follow the rules of the road, a difficult concept for some of them to grasp, to be sure.

I would think that the majority of drivers will welcome the upgrades to the road around the proposed gas station. Whether anyone will actually stop and buy gas there remains to be seen.

There is no shortage of drivers who currently perform odd, death-defying vehicle manoeuvres in order to get their morning caffeine hit at the existing coffee stand across the road. Perhaps the road upgrades will make the road safer for all of us who use it.

As regards the 鈥渃omplication鈥� with the eagle tree(s), I would hope the developer would not cut the tree(s) down, but I doubt there is much, if any, 鈥済oodwill鈥� left. I don鈥檛 think anyone would deny that the bald eagle is a truly magnificent, resilient bird that should be protected.

According to Environment Canada鈥檚 website, there are now 10 times as many breeding/wintering bald eagles in B.C. compared to the 1960s (the number of eagles is increasing by more than six per cent each year). If 鈥渇eeding time鈥� no longer occurred at Portuguese Joe鈥檚, I鈥檇 be willing to bet the eagles would adapt and move to a new location, just like they will if the tree is cut down.

Maybe the local Sierra Club should concentrate its activities and resources on Valley issues that will actually have significant, long-term environmental impacts on us all (check out the other stated 鈥渒ey鈥� campaign on their website; I think most people will agree that鈥檚 a more pressing issue).

William Irving,

Comox