Eby’s Massey Defence Is Now “Too Late to Turn Back”

David Eby’s latest Massey tunnel argument is not a fiscal answer. It is a warning label on the government’s own decision-making: the project is now so far down the road, voters are told, that stopping to question the route would be reckless.

Daily Hive reported that Eby stood at the Deas Island early-works site and argued the immersed-tunnel plan has passed the “point of no return,” saying a switch back to a bridge would disrupt work, threaten jobs and risk federal funding. The BC NDP’s own release used the same job-site frame, saying Eby challenged Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson to explain why he would fire workers, set the project back years and make commuters wait.

The facts voters can inspect are more troubling than the photo opportunity. The province says the Fraser River Tunnel Project is a toll-free, eight-lane immersed-tube tunnel to replace the aging George Massey Tunnel. Early construction work began in January 2026, including tree clearing, utility relocations and preparation for a casting basin. The province also says major construction is still anticipated in 2027, and that the Environmental Assessment Office is expected to complete its review before the end of 2026.

That means Eby is simultaneously arguing urgency and incompleteness. Work is visible enough to claim cancellation would be irresponsible, but the major build is still ahead, procurement has been reset, and environmental review is not yet finished.

The money question is even sharper. Global News reported in July that the project budget had climbed from $4.15 billion to $8.5 billion and that the completion date had moved from December 2030 to September 2031. The same report said Ottawa would contribute up to $3 billion toward capital costs. That federal contribution is important, but it does not erase the provincial accountability problem. A larger outside cheque does not make an $8.5-billion plan automatically well managed.

The Conservative BC release goes further, citing Budget 2026’s $4.3-billion Highway 99 Tunnel Program line and alleging a December 2025 Premier’s Office memo showed government already anticipated an $8.5-billion budget. That is an opposition allegation, but the public record still demands a plain answer: when did cabinet know the higher number, who knew it, and why did voters not get the full ledger sooner?

None of this proves a bridge is the right replacement. It proves the NDP cannot treat sunk costs as a substitute for transparency. British Columbians deserve the updated business case, procurement risk register, federal-funding conditions, cancellation costs, schedule confidence, and full provincial share before election day.

If the Massey tunnel is truly past the point of no return, the government should have no difficulty showing the map, the receipt and the risks. “Too late to turn back” is not a governing plan. It is what politicians say after the bill has already escaped them.