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Delay in building health and education infrastructure is unacceptable

The province and TransLink not providing additional services to Langley, says Township councillor.

Editor: In the July 20 Province newspaper, an article describes a nine-month-old baby having to wait four and a half hours to see a doctor at Langley Memorial Hospital the previous week. This is very upsetting and concerning.

We have a major problem here in Langley that needs to get fixed.

The inadequate primary health care services to support the growing population in this community just cannot continue as  is. We either need to stop increasing population in our community, or increase health and education services.

In my opinion, this is an emergency situation. It affects quality of life in our community.

The time-worn excuse of getting the population and then we get the services does not cut it anymore. We have the population but we can’t get the services from the provincial government and their agencies, including health authorities, school boards and TransLink. Why not?

Residential growth and the construction industry are economic engines that the provincial government wants our community to foster and support to help keep the provincial economy moving.

But you just can’t bring thousands of new people to communities each year and dump them there without adequate basic human care and services — especially in health care and education.

Premier Christy Clark and Langley ministers Rich Coleman, Mary Polak  and Peter Fassbender — how does what is happening in Langley support your “Families First” agenda?

You are letting our families down in key community infrastructure areas — health care, education and transit. When are you going to fix this for us? This is just not acceptable or tolerable any more.

A nine-month-old child should never have to wait four and a half hours to see a doctor, especially with a severed finger in a baggie. This is simply inexcusable.

Councillor Kim Richter,

Langley Township