BEGINS
SAT.
12
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON
WEEKS
Music
Community
Sports
Estevan Music Festival highlights and awards
Soldiers’ Tree monument nearly completed
Bruins prepare for WCC hockey wars
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⇢A6
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Wed., Apr. 27, 2016
Issue 50
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Talented Pianists Max Hiske, left, and Levi Stepp perform while Melanie Hiske waits to turn a page during the piano awards night for the Estevan and District Music Festival on April 21 at Trinity Lutheran Church. The awards night featured numerous talented pianists, and the presentation of many awards. For more on the festival, see Page A3. Photo by David Willberg.
Council approves traffic bylaw angle, which would create a challenge for truck drivers. A designated route is needed in south Estevan for heavy trucks, so they can reach Highway 47 when heading south of the city, and Highway 18 when travelling west. Council believes the best bet for the long-term would be Sixth Street from Kensington Avenue to Souris Avenue South, but Sixth Street isn’t in good enough shape to handle the extra truck traffic.
By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The new traffic bylaw in Estevan has been given the green light. Estevan City Council approved second and third readings for the bylaw at Monday night’s council meeting. The new bylaw will result in higher fines for parking infractions and for trucks that unnecessarily stray from the truck bypass. Speed limits in back alleys will be decreasing. But it was the retention of Perkins Street as part of the truck route that received the most attention at Monday night’s meeting. Councillor Kevin Smith is concerned about Perkins Street’s inclusion, since it is a residential area. Heavy trucks will continue to use Perkins Street from Kensington Avenue to Souris Avenue South. Council views it as a more viable option than running the trucks down Fourth Street from Kensington Avenue to Souris Avenue South, and then Souris Avenue South to the city limits. “I believe council initially had them going down Perkins because they felt that corner (at Fourth Street and Souris Avenue South) was too tight,” said Ward. The intersection is less than a 90-degree
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heavy truck traffic, then we can start running (trucks) down there, and taking Perkins away (from the truck route),” said Ludwig. Smith also wanted to know the timeframe for repairs on Sixth Street. He introduced a motion at Monday night’s meeting to consider including Sixth Street’s repairs in the 2017 budget, and council approved the motion. But there’s no guarantee it will be included.
“Once we get Sixth Street fixed up to a condition that will be acceptable for the heavy truck traffic, then we can start running (trucks) down there.” - Mayor Roy Ludwig Ward believes it would be the best option once Sixth Street is repaired. Mayor Roy Ludwig echoed Ward’s comments. “Once we get Sixth Street fixed up to a condition that will be acceptable for the
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“I don’t think anybody is in disagreement with the fact that it (Perkins) is a residential road, and it was never built up to any standard of a highway,” said Smith. A portion of Perkins was resurfaced in 2006, but it is now deteriorating.
“I really think we need to move forward to try to find a solution, because I don’t think Perkins is that,” said Smith. Ward didn’t receive any formal complaints about the traffic bylaw, although Ward knows of one person who lives on Perkins who is upset that heavy truck traffic will continue to roll down the road. City clerk Judy Pilloud said she received just one response. Council gave the parking bylaw first reading at its meeting on April 11, and then allowed for two weeks of review and public feedback. The biggest change from the traffic bylaw will be an increase in fines for vehicles that are parked over the time limit. The fine was $20, but now they will be $45. The fine will be reduced to $30 if it is paid within 14 days. Police chief Paul Ladouceur had previously stated that Estevan’s parking fines hadn’t been changed in many years. Numerous other parking fines will increase from $40 to $80, although the fine will be $50 if paid within 14 days. The fine for trucks not using the proper truck route will increase from $150 to $500. Speed limits in back alleys will drop from 30 kilometres per hour to 20 km/h.
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