Skip to content

Council discusses Veterans Crescent projects at special meeting

Estevan city council made a couple of decisions related to projects for a road in northwest Estevan during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Veterans Crescent

Estevan city council made a couple of decisions related to projects for a road in northwest Estevan during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The first decision was to award a tender for asphalt resurfacing on Veterans Crescent to Genco Asphalt for $190,020. The resurfacing is connected to a water main replacement project currently underway on Veterans.

In a document released at Wednesday’s meeting, city engineer Kiflom Weldeab said that resurfacing is to start July 13 and wrap up by Aug. 3.

The watermain replacement and asphalt resurfacing are being funded through the infrastructure levy assessed bimonthly on utility bills.

City manager Jeff Ward noted the cost of the Veterans Crescent project is within the budgeted amount of $650,000.

Councillor Shelly Veroba said she and the other members of council were pleased to see the resurfacing work go to a local contractor.

A new sidewalk was to be constructed on Veterans Crescent, but council has decided to scrap those plans. A report from Weldeab at the June 15 council meeting called for the sidewalk to be constructed on the south side of the street, but due to opposition from a few affected homeowners, the proposed sidewalk location was shifted to the north side.

However, those who live on the north side of the road were even more vocal in their opposition.

There isn’t a sidewalk on either side of Veterans Crescent.

Mayor Roy Ludwig noted he and Councillor Dennis Moore did some canvassing of those in the area.

“We are in this city all together, and sometimes you have to change your mind to keep peace in the people that are really strong about it,” said Moore, who credited those on Veterans Crescent for being civil about the issue.

Councillor Trevor Knibbs suggested that the money that has been saved by not doing the sidewalk on Veterans could be directed to another area without one, such as along Nicholson Road near Rusty Duce Playpark.

“If we can improve the area … I am 100 per cent on board for moving the sidewalk,” said Knibbs, who has seen more people walking since the COVID-19 pandemic came to Saskatchewan.

Knibbs has seen people walk around cars and on people’s lawns in areas where there aren’t any sidewalks.

It was also noted during Wednesday’s meeting that the ratepayers on Veterans Crescent weren’t going to face extra costs because of the sidewalk addition.