It was a night of acknowledgments and sidewalk crossings, during last Monday’s (April 22) council meeting.
The District of Hope recognized the work of Ellen Forsey who, after 33 years, retired as the Hope RCMP Detachment Clerk.
Mayor Victor Smith presented Forsey with a carving of an eagle and feather. The carving is one of many carved by Shea Larking and handed out, by the district, to honour members of the community.
“The (retirement) carvings, like you, are very unique,” Smith said. “For 33 and a half years, you were with the RCMP. A lot of places have ‘Girl Friday,’ but (Ellen) was Monday to Friday. And we’re very proud to be part of it. You had a great relationship with staff here. And council is very proud of the years you served our community.”
Afterwards, the district heard from a representative of TRUE consulting who gave a presentation on possible outcomes for the Silver Creek pedestrian crossing project.
For years, residents traveling through Flood Hope Road have been asking for a proper way to cross the road in the Silver Creek area. Previously, residents were using an overpass walkway that had been built when Flood Hope Road was still part of Highway 1. The walkway became permanently out of commission when an excavator hit it on Oct. 13, 2023.
As the district recently received a $500,000 grant for the multi-use pathway, TRUE said that the Silver Creek crossing project would be included with the pathway construction.
“We wanted to make sure that we’re maximizing safety benefits for any crossing that we’re putting in,” said the TRUE representative. “As discussed, both Marie Street and Peter Street provide locations that are on the desire lines (paths pedestrians naturally travel). They provide people landing areas. And they allow for the additional installation of safety features.
“With the introduction of the Richmond Hill multi-use pathway and the road being reclassified as arterial, we might also see an increase in people using active transportation in that area and not just school children. From that, we’ve come to a recommended crossing option that is a mid block, off set, crossing between Marie Street and Peter Street.”
While both the multi-use pathway project and Silver Creek project are still in the initial stages, district staff hopes construction will begin by the end of the year.
The next council meeting will be on May 13 at 7 p.m.
READ MORE: David Hick is the new FireSmart Coordinator for Hope
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.