LETTER – South Shore gets a lot of major projects; what about the North Shore?

Outdoor ice rink and TRU overpass:

I’m writing so that you may consider my concerns about the above two projects coming before council on Tuesday. My concerns aren’t only about cost, but also the inequities of Livability, Sustainability and Safety projects most often being placed on the South Shore.

First, with regard to the outdoor skating sheet in Riverside, I’d like to know how it is justified for the cost and within Kamloops’ Climate action plan? I have these questions:

– When Council approves capital projects do they also consider the ongoing years of operational costs, including equipment maintenance, staffing/benefits/training/security against vandalism and public safety (for additional managers, support staff, police, security contractors)?

– Do they consider the energy, environmental and financial costs of running a generator for outdoor refrigeration, plus the use of calcium chloride, glycol, ammonia or Freon in the ice? Artificial ice surfaces are expensive to maintain and are not financially or environmentally sustainable given climate change.

With regard to the inequities of placing major projects on the South Shore, the contrast between the focus on the TRU overpass and neglect of Schubert Drive is the most topical for this week.

The students attending TRU are primarily adults who should be aware of the dangers of crossing the street, and the overpass seems like a huge cost to babysit them. There isn’t a sidewalk on the TRU side of the Summit connector (I saw a couple of pedestrians trying to walk up the connector in January when there were huge windrows at the side of the road after the snow storm), so I’m guessing a sidewalk may also be needed and maintained, but it hasn’t been mentioned in the cost of the overpass.

In contrast, I drive along Schubert Drive every weekday to bring my grandkids home from Kamloops School of the Arts. Yes, schools of choice are also not environmentally sustainable as most parents drive to and from, as they don’t live in the neighbourhood. My grandkids couldn’t get into Bert Edwards which is two blocks away from their house because it’s also a school of choice.

Then, there’s Arthur Hatton which has the most impoverished students in Kamloops. Perhaps their parents don’t feel empowered to speak up, but I see little ones walking along the Rivers Trail on Schubert Drive with some makeshift disjointed curbs, plus many gaps where there are no curbs at street level.

The state of the road itself at the moment is a series of potholes and puddles. Cars and school busses dodge each other by moving towards the edge in both directions, which I think is a risk to children walking along the trail. Pedestrian crosswalks are poorly thought out, and not painted often enough.

Apparently (I don’t know first hand), the City has plans for refurbishing Schubert but this project seems to have been put on the back-burner for years.

Why can’t the City apply for a grant for improving the Rivers Trail on Schubert, just like it did for the flood protection in Riverside Park and the bicycle lanes on Sixth?

Why did City admin send letters to the residents of Schubert to share in the cost of curbs when there seems to be plenty of money or an effort to find grants for infrastructure on the south shore? Seems a bit petty and unfair.

I’d encourage you to drive, walk or ride your bicycle along Schubert from Fort to York streets, between 2:41-3 p.m., when school gets out. Not only is this section of the Rivers Trail used by local children, it is also a major thoroughfare for active transportation from Westsyde to downtown that City hall seems to neglect. A tour with an observant eye may give you a different perspective of the inequities in grant funding, spending and maintenance throughout the city.

Money does talk, as the City, downtown businesses, and nearby residents will benefit from the Fawcetts’ donation, and the Fawcetts will also benefit from having the Performing Arts Centre downtown near all their apartment buildings (the game of Monopoly comes to mind).

I’ve always thought that the Henry Grube site would be a lovely place for the Performing Arts Centre, overlooking the river, but that would take some negotiation between the City and School District.

The PAC will be a great asset for many in the community, but I also hope during the Build Kamloops exercise that council and residents will consciously think about not only the capital building costs, but also the future operational costs which affect our tax increases.

I also hope that livability and safety projects on the North Shore, such as the Rivers’ Trail along Schubert, grants for sidewalks, painted crosswalks for children, and curbs to protect them from drivers, will also be considered in the overall plan.

COLLEEN McCLEAN