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Community passion on display at Ward 5 neighbourhood meeting

Oct 14, 2015 | 6:42 AM

Ward 5 residents made sure their voices were heard at their community meeting on Tuesday night.

The Crescent Heights Community Club Rink’s lobby was filled, and more chairs had to be provided to accommodate the large turnout.

The largest concern was the 7/11 convenience store at the corner of Branion Dr. and 6th Ave. E.

Many claimed it’s because the store is open 24/7, drawing a particular late-night crowd. They claimed there was more loitering, public disturbance, looting, vandalism and petty theft around the 7/11 and in the surrounding area.

The complaint was not a surprise to John Guenther, director of planning and development services for the city of Prince Albert.

“It’s a newer complaint, but not one we haven’t heard before,” he said.

The issue with 7/11 did come as a surprise for Ward 5 city councillor Tim Scharkowski. 

“I didn’t realize how many upset people there were about how it’s being utilized,” he said. “I know how busy it is…but didn’t realize for the citizens who live along that walking trail that it caused havoc that badly.

“That was really an eye-opener for me.”

More police activity and visibility was suggested by the crowd to deal with the problem. The idea of a curfew was briefly raised as well.

Unfortunately there’s little the city can do.The city cannot regulate 7/11’s operating hours or dictate their clientele.

“You gave them a business to operate,” Scharkowski continued. “You can’t govern them and tell them they can’t sell this or can’t be open in these hours. I don’t know what to do with that one, that’s for sure.”

The situation was reversed when it came to another major issue raised in the meeting concerning stray cats running rampant at night.

Guenther was surprised, saying the complaint was “a new one.”

Scharkowski was not quite as surprised. “It’s not a problem that I get a phone call about every night, but I’ve heard it from a few [people].”

The main issue is cat owners letting their cats out at night and they do not bring them back in, leaving the cats to wander the neighbourhood.

“It is an issue, but that’s something by-law has to control,” Scharkowski said. “That’s going to be a long-term thing too. Educating people is the easiest way, letting people know if their cat gets caught it’s going to be taken away or there’s going to be a fine.”

Traffic concerns were also mentioned throughout the night. Speeding along Olive Diefenbaker Dr. and Muzzy Dr. was raised, as well as the increased congestion around Ecole Vickers School and St. Francis School.

“If you’ve been to Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal, you’ve seen congestion. We don’t have congestion,” Guenther countered. “I’ve heard people say they wasted 10 minutes at a stop sign. They probably waited 30 seconds and it felt like 10 minutes.”

Guenther said the city was paying close attention to all the traffic concerns raised at community meetings. He said it is the most common concern he’s heard at the previous four meetings.

Several criticisms extended beyond Ward 5, mainly the lack of activities in Prince Albert to keep youth off the streets.

“If you’ve got this activity at night, then where are these people from,” asked Grant Gustafson. “If they’re from here [the city] needs to provide some activities here. If they’re from somewhere else, then the city needs to provide the activity over there.

“Maybe they live in the downtown? What is there in the downtown for people besides the street, and what sort of programming is there?”

The lack of activities was John Fraser’s main point. At 22 he was the youngest attendee at the meeting.

“There’s no young people,” he said. “I ask my friends ‘hey did you hear about this event’ and they say no, even though there’s a poster plastered right in front of them. They don’t even read stuff.”

Fraser pinpoints a defeatist attitude amongst Prince Albert youth as to why they don’t care. “Every time I ask them what they can do, they just say nothing, because it’s bad.”

Fraser advocated for more free or low-cost activities in Prince Albert to keep youth occupied and decrease crime.

Though the complaints were numerous, Scharkowski (who has lived in Ward 5 since the mid-70’s) was pleased to see the investment his constituents showed in the neighbourhood. “It makes me happy. They care about their community. It’s nice to see that.”

Ward meetings are part of a longer process by City Hall to hear concerns from the wards, and create a long-term plan to deal with them.

An Official Community Plan is part of the long-term process. The first draft is now available for public review.

 

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