The referendum to renovate or replace the bridge is coming up soon and for me the question is very simple. The initial estimate to repair the bridge was 8.6 million, which is a reasonable amount. A couple years later, the cost to renovate was made by the same person (though working for a different company) and the cost had skyrocketed to 80 million. When asked by Sam Williams of Focus magazine to explain the difference in cost estimates, he had nothing to say. The 8.6 million cost is in the same range as the final cost to repair a similar bridge in Ontario and the Tower Bridge in London. I think the 80 million cost is inflated so as to be just a bit higher than the cost to replace the bridge, in order to make replacement seem like a viable option. The bridge already exists and it works, though it does need some repair. Spending nearly 80 million to replace the bridge will not benefit the people of Victoria, except for the few people working on the replacement project. Spending far more money to replace the bridge than on any project in the entire history of the city will not help with the problem of homelessness and will not create new opportunity for citizens.