By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
RM of Corman Park councillors voted unanimously at their August 19 meeting to push forward with the construction of a three-mile (4.8 kilometre) walking trail in order to improve pedestrian safety for residents in the southern portion of the municipality, particularly children riding bikes.
The walking path will run one mile along Baker Road from Range Road 3052 to Clarence Avenue in the south ditch and two miles along Clarence Avenue from Baker Road to Grasswood Road in the west ditch.
Though the project must be tendered out, some preliminary estimates obtained by administration from contractors put the total pricetag at $250,000 to $350,000.
The RM will partially cover this cost through a $100,000 grant from SGI, which the RM successfully applied for through the agency’s Safety Improvement Program. Incidentally, $100,000 is the maximum amount that can be awarded through this initiative.
The remaining cost will be funded through either the RM’s Roadway Reserve Fund and/or surplus funds from another capital project — the paving of Township Road 374 and Range Road 3052, which is expected to come in under budget.
Administration presented a proposal for the walking path at the August 19 meeting, noting that area of the RM has experienced significant growth in the last few years and is home to multiple residential subdisivisons, commercial and recreational facilities, and South Corman Park School.
However, it has been observed that many RM residents, particularly children, walk along the roadways and/or in the ditches within that area, creating a potential safety hazard.
Building this walking path would provide safer access to South Corman Park School from Casa Rio, Ravenswood Estates, Edgemont Park Estates, Grasswood South and five other acreages.
It would also provide improved access to Edgemont Park Estates and Grasswood North, as they are within 500 metres of the Grasswood Road and Clarence Avenue intersection.
Administration noted the SGI grant must be used in 2025, though SGI would permit the RM to complete a portion of the walking path this year and then build the rest in upcoming years. And while SGI would not provide more funding for this project, other grants could be sought out.
Ultimately, council was presented with the options of proceeding with the full project, spending the SGI grant this year and doing more work in future years, postponing construction altogether or abandoning the project entirely.
Additionally, administration pointed out the RM will likely receive other requests for walking paths if this project proceeds.
Division 2 Councillor John Saleksi put forward the motion to proceed with the whole project. “I think it’s a safety issue, definitely. I’ve had calls before from ratepayers where their child’s ended up in emergency after being run off the road,” he said.
Saleski added that he has driven along Clarence Avenue many times and often sees little kids riding their bikes half on the road and half on the grass.
Noting he is himself a cyclist, he said, “It doesn’t take a whole lot…to lose your balance if you hit a bump or whatever, and you can fall in front of a vehicle.”
Saleski also pointed out that some ratepayers in Division 2 have complained the RM does not invest enough in infrastructure within that area.
“This is an investment in the infrastructure there. That’s going to go a long way (to placate those residents). Don’t underestimate how far that’s going to go to change peoples’ attitudes and just be appreciative of the RM and council,” he said.
Division 8 Councillor Wendy Trask also spoke in favour of the project, though she also wanted to see a levy implemented on new multi-parcel developments “so everybody’s paying their fair share of building new walking paths.”
Trask also favoured doing snow removal along the walking path, as administration had indicated that this would only be a three-season walking path.
However, Saleski said people in that area ride their snowmobiles in the ditches, and would be doing so even if the RM was clearing snow off of the walking path, potentially creating another safety issue.
Though he was not opposed to the project, Division 7 Councillor Calvin Vaandrager asked if it would even be possible to complete this project before winter came.
Administration responded that, based on the contractors they spoke to, they could likely fit it in to their schedules.
The yellow line in this graphic shows the proposed route of the walking path, which will be three miles (or 4.8 kilometres) long.