HRM
deputy mayor Reg Rankin (pictured right) dropped by our neighbourhood recently
to mark the installation of deer crossing signs at both entrances to Wedgewood
Park.
Counsellor
Rankin, who represents Wedgewood Park, played a key role in the installation – after
the province’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) declined a request for
signage, explains Wedgewood Avenue resident Scott Neilson (pictured left).
“Working
from home, I see small herds of deer crossing the road pretty much every day.
On several occasions, I’ve seen speeding cars come very close to hitting them.
With deer crossing signs on both Parkland and Dunbrack South, I figured it
would be a no-brainer to have one installed on my street,” says Scott.
Defeat?
However
Scott, who co-chairs the Wedgewood Park Residents’ Association – an informal
body created two years ago to represent our neighbourhood’s interests – says he
was “somewhat surprised” to see the DNR reject his request.
“The
DNR’s policy is to authorize a sign only if a collision is reported – a bit
like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted,” Scott says.
The
refusal prompted association co-chair Lea Anne McLeod (pictured centre) to take
the matter up with Counsellor Rankin – who offered to fund signage from his own
office’s budget.
“Because
we’re an informal association, we don’t have a bank account for Reg to transfer
the money into. So I asked for some help from Friends of Clayton Park, who
kindly agreed to assist.
“Then
all that was left to do was liaise with Nova Scotia Power about using their
power poles to display the signage – and to order the actual signs through a
local supplier,” she says.
Momentum
The
installation is the latest in a series of successes for Wedgewood Park.
Prompted by the association, Counsellor Rankin has:
·
increased the police presence on
the corner of Wedgewood Avenue and Kearney Lake Road to discourage speeding
drivers
·
installed a crash barrier at the
same intersection, in part to protect the outdoor play area of an adjoining
daycare
·
arranged for police to successfully
deal with noise pollution from a vehicle with a modified exhaust.
Says
Scott: “With close to 200 people following our neighbourhood’s Facebook page,
Wedgewood Park people do seem to have a significant amount of interest in
working together at a grass roots level to protect our community’s interests.”
Other
associations
If you’re interested in local issues, you might want to check out the Facebook pages for Families of Cresthaven and also Friends of Clayton Park.
If you’re interested in local issues, you might want to check out the Facebook pages for Families of Cresthaven and also Friends of Clayton Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment