The great weather we`ve enjoyed for most of this fall has been great news for the pathway project in Estevan.
For starters, it has allowed for more work to happen at a faster clip. It would have been a lot more difficult for all of these sidewalks and walking paths to be finished if we had endured a fall like 2019, when there was no shortage of rain and even some September snow.
And it`s been great news for those who have used these new amenities.
The pathways and sidewalks are among the best ventures for recreation in this city since the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games. Not only did the Games result in the construction of the Chamney Family Running Track and the Panteluk Athletic Park by the Estevan Comprehensive School, but it led to numerous upgrades to recreation facilities in the community, and funding for other projects through the Games legacy projects.
Also among great additions since the Games were the opening of Fresh Air Fitness and the off-leash dog park at Woodlawn Regional Park, and the outdoor arena at the Kin Hillside Playpark, were also pretty great for so many of us.
But the beautiful part about these pathways is they can be accessed by anyone at any time. You don`t have to schedule a time to use them. There isn`t a user group that has priority time. (Although if a user group receives priority booking at a facility, there`s typically a reason for it).
You can just go to the pathway or the sidewalk that you want and go as far as you want. If you want to circle the city, you can do that, although we`d recommend giving yourself lots of time.
If you only have 15 or 20 minutes, well, that`s an option, too.
Another great part about these pathways is that they aren`t just straight and flat. The pathway through northeast Estevan has some very challenging aspects to it. So does the new pathway in southeast Estevan that runs from Fourth Avenue to Kensington Avenue. And for those who have lived here for a long time, these pathways allow you to see something you haven’t seen before.
There`s still some work to do on them, ranging from a washroom facility in southwest Estevan to signage to guide people while walking around the city. But the biggest part of the project is finished.
And there`s obviously going to be money spent on maintaining and resurfacing our pathways over time.
Looking back, it`s hard to believe that people were actually opposed to this project. Not a lot. But some. They viewed it as a waste of money, even though the federal and provincial governments would be kicking in most of the cost. (And make no mistake, this project wouldn’t have happened without provincial and federal backing).
Most wanted it to happen. And we’re seeing why.
It’s a little reminiscent of when Affinity Place was built more than a decade ago. There were people who weren`t happy that a project of that scope went ahead, either. But once the skeptics went inside, saw it for the first time, noticed the improvements over what we had before and had that “Wow” moment, the criticism ended pretty quickly.
Perhaps the only complaint we’ve heard about the pathway project of late is that someone decided to take their horse for a walk on the northeast pathway, and didn’t clean up their horse’s “road apples.”
Sidewalk construction will create a tremendous legacy for safety. We now have a legitimate sidewalk on Kensington Avenue. That project was long overdue; it should have been completed decades ago.
Pedestrians can finally feel a greater degree of safety when walking down that arterial road.
There are other areas of the city that finally have a safe place for people to walk, where there wasn`t one in the past, such as Fourth Avenue south of Perkins Street.
It`s been great to see so many people out using these walking areas, whether it be for a walk or a jog or a bike ride.
Hopefully, they’ll be busy next year, too, and the novelty won’t wear off.
