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Residents are frustrated with speedway
By
Editor
MD residents in the Millarville/Bragg Creek corridor are growing considerably weary of the danger posed by speeding motorcyclists on the highways surrounding their country residential homes.
The problem, said area resident Gail Melanson, is most prevalent on Highway 549, west of Millarville just north of Burby bridge, where thrill seekers weave dangerously through a series of five S-curves in a half-mile stretch of road.
The winding road and attractive scenery of the surrounding foothills makes the area extremely appealing to some 200 to 300 motorcyclists that ride the highway every weekend.
In many areas sight-lines to exits and driveways are poor, making the situation even more dangerous.
Melanson's driveway is accessed directly from Highway 762. Every time she slows to turn into her driveway, the thought of a potential accident looms in the back of her head.
'People are always just whizzing past me,' she said. 'It's kind of as though the rules of the road don't apply.'
Although Melanson said most of those riders are responsible there is far too much dangerous activity still taking place.
Last year alone there were five motorcycle-related deaths in the area and most recently on the Easter weekend one rider had to be airlifted to hospital after he couldn't handle a turn south of the Burby bridge.
'You see several places on the road where there are flowers and crosses off to the side of the road,' she said. 'It's frustrating because we don't really feel that the problem is being add-ressed.'
What's most frustrating for residents like Melanson and nearby resident Ken McCreath is that there is little they can do as residents to prevent another serious accident on the roads they travel every day.
'Other than complain about it to the RCMP, there isn't a whole lot we can do,' said McCreath who believes the highways in the area aren't being patrolled enough. 'All we want is a couple of cars just as a deterrent' he said. 'You don't have to catch them. We don't want to turn this into a high speed chase.'
But the thinly stretched RCMP said they just don't have the resources to be able to attend to everybody at all times. As unfortunate as it may be, that is the reality which both residents and law enforcement have to face.
'My biggest thing is a resource problem,' said Turner Valley RCMP Sgt. Tyler Bray. 'I have to prioritize what I have coming in. It's a legitimate concern, but the problem is how to dedicate resources to go out there when I've got break-and-enters and assaults taking place.'
However Bray is the last person ignore the issue.
'Basically we're open to hear about their concerns and how we can best address them,' he said. 'I'm hoping to have an open forum so that I can go out and listen to what the people have to say and we can start working together in partnerships to try and find solutions to solve the problem.'
Finding those solutions may be easier said than done.
Foothills MD councillor Ron Laycraft has payed some considerable attention to the area.
'I've been fighting this thing now for seven years now,' he said. 'I've racked my brain for a long time on it and I just really don't know what you can do.'
The problem has also been made evident to the Solicitor General's office which responded to residents last month with proposed solutions including the construction of speed bumps and lowering the speed limit from 100 km/h to 80 km/h — ideas which Mccreath said just don't make a whole lot of sense.
'We don't want speed bumps on the bloody highway,' said McCreath. 'And what good would lowering the speed limit do. They're ignoring 100 (km/h). It would just make it easier to ignore 80.'
Amidst a growing letter campaign on which residents have embarked, Foothills MD councillor Terry Waddock took a more pro-active approach to things last week.
Waddock drove to Turner Valley to meet with Bray in order to discuss the concerns voiced by some of his constituents.
What came out of those discussions is the most positive feedback that's been heard on the subject in quite sometime.
Bray, and Okotoks ************** Haner have agreed to join MD council for further discussions.
'Maybe what can e done is some sort of pooling of resources so there could be some concerted effort one day, because Turner Valley can't do it on it's own,' he said. 'It's just too much of a commitment.'
Little Britches
Jeff Bell and his two-year-old daughter Chloe watch as the 45th annual Little Britches parade heads down MacLeod Trail in High River on Monday. The parade was followed by the Little Britches Rodeo.
- photo by John Barlow
Red Deer Lake to get a new school
By
Staff reporter
The Foothills School Division has received an addition $3.65 million to build a new school at the Red Deer Lake School.
The division was informed May 16 that a new school would be funded on the site.
The division has been petitioning the provincial government for funding for over a year. The announced funding brings the total amount available for building the new school up to $5.76 million.
'The Foothills team has been working tirelessly with the government and community groups to achieve this vision of a new school for our Red Deer Lake students,' said Jim McLellan, superintendent of schools.
Most recently, representatives from Alberta Infrastructure had been considering three options for the school. Two options involved modernization and additions while the third option suggested building a new school.
'This is extremely good news for the Red Deer Lake school community,' said Faye Lippitt, board trustee for the Red Deer Lake area.
'This shows that the government has agreed with our concerns regarding the current school and have come on board in providing this wonderful opportunity for our students.'
The school will continue to include students from kindergarten to Grade 9.
Final details and a site location are still being determined.
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For the first time in quite sometimes, residents in the Millarville Bragg Creek corridor are met with a certain level of comfort.
'I think that's great,' said Melanson. 'I'm happy to see that the issue seems to be trying to addressed,'
Bray and Haner are expected to attend council meetings June 5.
'I think it's a great step,' said Waddock. 'I feel very good about it. Some good ideas are starting to come forward, so we'll see what comes out of this.'
