We moved to Vancouver in 1980. The waterfront around the Interstate 5 Bridge was sadly underutilized, but not for long.
We witnessed the building of restaurants, condominiums, attended concerts in the bowl west of the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay, and walked in sand at Wintler Park. The Water Resources Center was built to educate schoolchildren; we saw salmon spawning in the Columbia River near the old fish hatchery. Vancouver Lake was dredged and was a memorable place where our children swam, and college students mastered crew sculls. We enjoyed picnics at Frenchman’s Bar, and watched geese leave for the winter in the fall at Bachelor Island. We kayaked with friends on Lake River and observed heron, muskrats, kingfishers and osprey nests.
If Tesoro and Savage are allowed to build their massive oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver, the high probability of fires, leaks, and explosions will prevent us from making these same memories for our grandson. Please wear red and join us from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Clark County Fairgrounds at the environmental impact hearings to voice opposition to the Tesoro-Savage plans to build a terminal that may prevent us from enjoying our waterfront resources for decades to come.
