To the Expositor:
Are you like me in that you get annoyed when someone does something just because they can and really get annoyed when they ensure that evidence of that is visible every day? Not an easy thing to do. But trust our government, they have succeeded, at least with me.
I speak of the sci-fi looking structures north of Little Current that activate the lights alongside of the highway when a deer is apparently in the area. I submit the following that raises “what’s the use” feelings in me.
The OPP are on record as saying that they do not understand why this area was chosen, as on the Manitoulin, there are worse areas where animal-vehicular collisions occur more often.
I am not an expert on deer. Deer can come and go in a flash and I assume these flashing lights stay on for a measured time when activated once the danger is identified by this technology. With the OPP making the statement that they do not understand the reasoning for placing in this area, what does this tell you about how much research was done by the Ministry of Transportation?
A well-used parable comes to life here—the boy who cried wolf. It has been my experience, and from what I have observed, these lights have activated and remain on during my whole trip through the area and I have not seen one deer. Other vehicles using the highway with me apparently are accustomed to that and do not reduce their speed. Is this possible because they have lost faith in what appears as a false alarm (crying wolf)?
More depressing, I assume these structures and all the apparatus that comes with them probably represents over two million dollars. I say this in order that the ministry will try and make me look bad by responding in the paper this figure is wrong and perhaps produce one more accurate. To the ministry, this is a challenge!
I view these structures and its costs as: had we put into cancer care, health, education, and other social needs, how much good could we have done? We could have left the traditional deer crossing signs as sufficient warning.
If you have travelled the Billings Stretch on the West End of the Island, you will have seen the $25 reflector lights. The OPP are also on record as saying their accident experience, animals and vehicles, has decreased somewhat thanks to these reflectors.
It is about government priorities, it is about them setting our priorities. A penny saved is a government oversight.
Larry Killens
South Baymouth
