(File photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By meadowlakeNOW Staff

Focus shift

City Hall adjusting Walking Path project to stay on budget

Aug 22, 2022 | 1:10 PM

Meadow Lake City Council is delaying work portions of a new walking path in order to remain within budget.

The “Connecting Communities” project, which will see a new walking path created to merge trails in Lions Park and Flying Dust First Nation, removed making changes to the sidewalk on 3^rd St. East (4^th Ave East to Hwy 55), which would have resulted in more than $350,000 to put in concrete and around $167,000 for asphalt. Instead, the City is moving that portion of the project to next year, with the focus for this summer on other sections and adding lighting, benches and garbage cans, which Mayor Merlin Seymour said supply chain and inflation issues have resulted in costs much higher than what was forecast several years ago.

“We have to stay strict with what was allotted for the project, so some changes were made,” he said. “In order to get the lighting and benches in place, we had to adjust the scope.”

“We will be replacing this it, but the construction work won’t be this year,” he said.

The decision was made during a special council meeting this month. Costs incurred will include around $12,000 each for 10 light installations and $8,000 each for 10 bench and garbage additions.

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Seymour stressed that this sidewalk stretch will get down, but it’s important to make sure light and rest areas are present along the path for pedestrian safety, especially along the highway.

“Now, that means we can do a better job of adding the lighting and other elements that were on the proposal,” he said. “Most people aren’t going to be walking from Lions Park to Flying Dust without needing a rest along the way. And then more garbage cans are something we can add through additional funding.”

Other sections of the pathway that will connect to Flying Dust include Larocque Drive, 6^th Ave, Bridger Drive and the adjoining section southeast corner of Lions Park. The latter will directly connect to the existing sidewalk on Bridger Drive.

Seymour said staff have worked on a capital plan to make the changes a part of next year’s budgetary process. They are also making new requests for funding and will open the door to businesses for donations and sponsorship opportunities.

“We might not be able to get as many as we were hoping for, which is where donations come in, but the path that will be done will have lights.”

Seymour added that some sidewalk work near the proposed site for a recreational facility would be added to that project and that some work is already underway.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @meadowlakeNOW