Traffic safety was a huge issue when I was campaigning and several people warned that it was only a matter of time before a student in the area was struck by a car. Unfortunately, it has happened.
CBC PEI: High school student hit by car seriously injured
It’s too early to tell exactly what took place but Ward 3 has a huge student population and we need to employ every possible safety precaution to keep them safe on the streets. I’m currently working to improve a potentially dangerous situation in front Queen Charlotte Intermediate School. Students using the crosswalk on North River Rd. are crossing the busy street directly into the entryway of the Simmons Arena parking lot. Anyone familiar with this area in the morning knows that the traffic on North River Road is heavy. Commuters are rushing to work in both directions and parents are pulling over to drop off students on both sides of the road. School buses are entering and exiting the parking lot as large groups of kids congregate outside the north doors of the school, directly in the path of traffic. It’s a real maelstrom and it’s a recipe for disaster. I met with the principal in December, at his invitation, and he has suggested a remedy for this problem. I’m working on it.
Last night council unanimously agreed to accept a recommendation from the Parks & Recreation committee to deny access to Victoria Park for the 2007 Jack Frost Children’s Winterfest. I was very impressed with the whole council, and the Parks & Rec Manager, for putting the protection of the park as the number one priority. Preventing damage was the overriding concern, and presented with the long term weather forecast our decision was not difficult. The organizers need to start building the festival site as soon as possible and there’s a lot of heavy machinery involved. The lack of snow cover, shallow ground frost, and predictions of unseasonal weather ahead all sealed the venue’s fate. The outdoor location has been relocated to the Confederation Landing Park. If the trend of milder winters continues, I think it would be prudent to plan the event for Confederation Landing Park as a rule, and move to Victoria Park only as exceptionally “frosty” circumstances permit.
Charlottetown’s new city council recently spent a busy weekend together planning for the challenges of the four-year term ahead of us. Our discussions were very ably facilitated by Frank Gallant of Peak Experiences from Antigonish. Frank is a professional in the field of organizational development. His approach is described as “eclectic” on his website, but Frank’s biggest strength, in my opinion, is his ability to quickly understand the people he’s working with.Â
We accomplished a lot, and not one person left on Sunday without acknowledging the value of our time spent together. The last council had a reputation for divisive, childish, and counterproductive behaviour; something we all heard about when campaigning. Whether the perception was completely accurate was disputed. The long list of impressive accomplishments of the last council speaks for itself.
In any case, this council has a new sense of purpose, a common vision for the city, clear expections of each other, and the makings of a strategic plan that we will continue to hammer out and implement over the months ahead. It was difficult giving up an entire weekend in my already very busy life. And believe me, we worked hard. I would have preferred to spend time with my wife and kids, but I think it was time well spent and very much worth the effort.
From Seth Godin, via my friend Dave, some good advice for people in my line of work: How to get re-elected.
I’m looking for a young person to serve on the city’s Youth Advocacy Advisory Board which I’ve just been asked to chair. This committee will provide guidance to the city on matters of interest to our youth, particularly those who cannot or do not participate in large popular programs such as minor hockey.
I will accept recommendations if you know anyone, or if you are someone, that would be interested in serving on this committee. I only have one position to fill. If I receive more than one candidate I will update this post when someone is chosen.
Please use the contact form to send your recommendations.
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