Drunkard

Eliminating train whistles would affect safety and increase liability, council learns Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Residents annoyed with train whistles will have to continue living with the inconvenience since eliminating the warnings could affect safety and add an extra $25 million to the city’s liability insurance. City administration has spoken with Canadian National Railway (CNR) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) about train whistle cessation in Moose Jaw. Municipal officials have particularly looked into eliminating train whistles at the CNR crossing on Thatcher Drive West and Iron Bridge Drive. City council received three complaints about train whistles during the past three years, a report said. These complainants asked council to eliminate train whistles and implement no-idling zones at train crossings within city limits. During the July 12 regular council meeting, city administration presented reasons why it would not be possible to implement train whistle cessation in Moose Jaw and documents about train accidents in Saskatchewan and Canada. Council unanimously voted to receive and file the report, essentially leaving the current situation with train whistles as it is. The respective transportation agencies for Canada and the United States mandate them to have train whistles at all public crossings since they are safety devices that alert motorists, pedestrians, trespassers and area construction crews about approaching trains. “We are a rail town. We have 28 crossings in town,” Bevan Harlton, director of engineering services, said during the meeting. Neither CP nor CN recommends that Moose Jaw — or any community — invest time or money into designing and approving changes at these crossings since train whistles are about safety. Transport Canada statistics show 175 crossing accidents in 2019 in Canada, including 29 crossing accidents — and four deaths — in Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, there are roughly 17,000 public crossing across the country, of which Saskatchewan has 3,546 crossings, the second-highest number in Canada. Moose Jaw is the road authority for the 28 public railway crossings, although only six have flashing lights, bells, and gates. The municipality would be responsible for all costs to upgrade those crossings within 400 metres of the crossings. Staff in the engineering department dug up a report from Lloydminster from 2018, which showed it would cost roughly $375,000 to upgrade each rail crossing, said Harlton. However, he understood that that community did not pursue that project. With 22 rail crossings in Moose Jaw without lights, bells or gates, upgrading them all would likely cost $8.25 million. Moose Jaw is a rail town, and with the number of crossings it has, train whistles are for safety whether people like them are not, said Coun. Dawn Luhning. Moose Jaw is also the largest CP rail hub in Canada — if not North America — for certain products. “That’s the city we live in,” she added. Changing the safety around rail crossings would be expensive with liability costs, Coun. Doug Blanc pointed out. While trains blow their horns, it’s usually for a few seconds anyway. Blanc talked to his son, who works for CN, and learned the only other community attempting to remove train whistles is Martensville. However, that municipality has attempted to do this for 10 years without success. The residents who complained to city council three years ago had initially approached CN and CP with their concerns but never heard back, which is why they came to the city, said Coun. Crystal Froese. She didn’t think council would be successful in eliminating train whistles since this is a federal issue. “We absolutely need train whistles in this city, especially in the middle of the night. We don’t know if someone is coming home at four in the morning (from work),” she added. City administration agreed to contact those concerned residents and inform them of council’s decision.

Another two months before Caribou and Ninth intersection fully upgraded, city says

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

City hall expects upgrades to the intersection at Caribou Street West and Ninth Avenue Northwest to take another two months, which means motorists will have to continue waiting patiently for the green light. Coun. Dawn Luhning raised the issue of how slowly the lights at the intersection turn green during the July 12 regular city council meeting. She pointed out that the previous light standards had sensors that detected vehicles and would change the lights faster if no one else was around. Now, though, traffic sits for a longer period waiting to go. “I want us to look at that,” she added. The municipality performed upgrades to that intersection except for the sensors and timing for the lights, information contained in a report that council received during a strategic planning meeting in June, explained Bevan Harlton, director of engineering services. “Inductive loops” need to be installed to manage the lights better, but those — and the sensors — won’t be installed until the cast iron pipes in that area are replaced. “So, for the next six to eight weeks, it will run off a timer,” he added. “Those loops will be in before the end of summer.” Coun. Doug Blanc was also curious about the intersection, particularly with newly installed turning signs, some of which are covered. He wondered why city hall decided to turn the centre lane into a left-turn lane instead of allowing both lanes to go forward. This information was also in the report presented during the strategic planning meeting, said Harlton. A traffic consultant recommended the change as part of a redesign plan; the left lane is now dedicated to left turns. Along with painted boxes on the road, these changes will help buses safely turn onto the roads. “The big one (important aspect) is that the dedicated leftturn lane is just safer. So when you’re making that left turn, you’re not looking in your rear-view mirror seeing if someone is going to rear-end you,” he added.

Ross Wells Park to host rock concert in support of youths’ mental health Jason G. Antonio- Moose Jaw Express

Ross Wells Ball Park will be rockin’ and rollin’ in August as several bands will jam out during a fundraiser to support the physical and mental health of students. River Street Promotions approached city hall about hosting an outdoor concert called Homestead ’21 at the ballpark on Saturday, Aug. 28. The group is a not-for-profit organization formed to connect audiences with entertainers while raising money to support its partners’ efforts to provide and promote mental health care, education and awareness initiatives. Two partners include Prairie South School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division. The organization expects about 1,000 to 1,500 people to attend. River Street Promotions expects the event to start at 2 p.m. and end around 11 p.m. Alcohol will be served during the concert, while several area streets — Caribou Street East, Ross Crescent and Third Avenue Northeast — will be partially closed to accommodate food trucks and pedestrian traffic. The bands include Barney Bentall & The Cariboo Express, Dustin Bentall, JJ Shiplett, Nice Horse, and Kacy & Clayton. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, July 20 and can be purchased at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre. During the July 12 executive committee meeting, city council voted unanimously to receive and file the report. Seventy-five per cent of the proceeds will support the mental health initiatives, while 25 per cent will help with upgrades at the ballpark in exchange for city hall providing garbage cans, Scott Osmachenko, recreation services manager, said during the meeting. Since Ross Wells Ball Park is one of six city venues that allows for alcohol, the parks and recreation department is working with event organizers to ensure all Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association (SLGA) conditions are met before it approves the application, he continued. Organizers must also notify all area businesses and residents about the potential for excessive noise.

Municipal bylaws state that outdoor public events that produce noise can do so from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with permission required for anything outside those hours. Organizers have held a walkthrough at the ballpark with the fire department and police service, so the emergency and protective agencies understand what will be happening, Osmachenko said. The group agreed to install additional emergency exits to accommodate the projected attendee numbers and to provide event details to the police, while it also plans to have medical personnel and an ambulance on site. “We’re very excited about this project and having this concert, and what the resources will do not only for mental health but also for Ross Wells ballpark,” he added. After nearly 16 months of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, to hold a concert that does something good for the community is typical of Moose Jaw, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. He thought this would be a great event to attend, especially since the money raised will support mental health initiatives and upgrades to the ballpark. “I think this will be more than a concert; it will be a celebration for the community,” he added. This event will be a great way to bring together the community, while having it on Aug. 28 will allow people to adjust to the “new normal,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. She expected this to be a great event — she looks forward to seeing Barney Bentall — and thought having it at Ross Wells was a suitable location. “People have been cooped up for the last year (to) 15 months. I think this is a great project,” agreed Coun. Doug Blanc. “Not only does it help mental health initiatives, but it also helps the Ross Wells Park, but more importantly, it gets people out. It gives them some freshness.”

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO AMEND THE ZONING BYLAW NO. 5346

The Council of the City of Moose Jaw intends to consider a bylaw pursuant to The Planning and Development Act, 2007 to amend the City of Moose Jaw’s Zoning Bylaw No. 5346.

The proposed amendment would rezone 250 Thatcher Drive East from CS – Community Service/Institutional District to CZ – Contract Zone. The rezoning will allow the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company Ltd. to sublease a portion of the property for limited commercial use.

A copy of the proposed Bylaw may be found under the “announcements” section at www.moosejaw.ca.

Any written comments or submissions must be received by Planning and Development Services, 228 Main Street North, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 3J8, by 10:00 AM on Monday, August 9th, 2021 in person or by email at planning@moosejaw.ca. Inquiries may be directed to the Department of Planning and Development Services by email or by phone at 306-694-4443.