It’s an issue that has come up at Estevan city council recently, and it should never be an issue to begin with.
Estevan city council twice had to debate the issue of sidewalks in open meetings in June, once at their regular meeting June 15, and the other at a special meeting June 24.
As part of the water main replacement project happening on Veterans Crescent – a short, peaceful residential road in the northwest corner of the city – the plan was to construct a sidewalk on the southern part of the crescent.
But a couple residents weren’t happy about it, so council decided to move the project to the north side. Pretty much every resident who lives on the north side of the street was upset with that decision, so Veterans Crescent will continue to be one of those roads that doesn’t have a sidewalk.
You can fault council for not speaking with the affected residents on the north side of the street before approving the shift in the sidewalk location, but not for their desire to enhance safety in the area by constructing a sidewalk. It’s a lot safer to stroll on a sidewalk that on the street, even if you’re staying close to the curb.
And while Veterans Crescent would be safer with a sidewalk, you can’t fault residents for not wanting one. It’s either going to cut into their property, or it’s going to result in a narrower street.
We’ve heard of the small-minded “not in my backyard” attitude that has often been an issue in small communities in this province in the past, but this would fit under “not in my front yard” thinking.
Reality is that at one time, it was acceptable to not have a sidewalk when a new subdivision or neighbourhood was constructed. It would be crazy to think that way now, because we recognize the benefits of well-maintained sidewalks. But when many parts of Estevan and other communities were built, sidewalks weren’t essential.
And so we find ourselves in this all-too-common situation, in which there are streets and avenues without a sidewalk. Or we have just one when there should be two.
Councillor Trevor Knibbs pointed out that that there isn’t a sidewalk for a stretch of Nicholson Road near the Rusty Duce Playpark, which has a lot to offer kids. It’s insane that there isn’t a sidewalk running alongside a park on one of the most important residential roads in the community.
And then you have the east edge of the city. We all know/ about the lack of a proper walking area on Kensington Avenue south of Nesbitt Drive. But there’s a serious lack of sidewalks and pathways on roads east of Fourth Avenue South.
We’ve seen some progress on the sidewalk and pathway front in other parts of the city. Pathways have been constructed on Souris Avenue North between Eighth Street and King Street, and alongside Fourth Avenue South leading to the north edge of Woodlawn Regional Park.
The sidewalks for Souris Avenue North from Wellock Road to Edward Street, and on Wellock from Souris to Mayfair Bay have been welcome additions.
We’re not the only community with this problem. Go to most communities, and you’ll have some subdivisions in need of a safe place to walk.
A few months ago, Estevan city council decided to apply to the federal government for funding for a pathway system that would connect the entire city. It would resolve some of the issues mentioned previously (such as Kensington Avenue) and create a great system that would make this a much safer community to enjoy some outdoor exercise.
Ultimately, we would need to receive this federal funding to make this project happen. It would be too expensive to make this project occur on our own, even if it were to be completed over several years.
And ultimately, even if we do get the money from the feds, this interconnected pathway project would take time to complete.
But it’s something to possibly look forward to. After all, the more opportunities we have for people to walk safely, the healthier we’ll be and the better off we’ll be.
