MINDEMOYA—With continued safety concerns with vehicular traffic at the downtown intersection corridor in Mindemoya, and the success of an initiative that has been carried out in Kagawong this summer, Manitoulin-Espanola Ontario Provincial Police Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Kevin Webb has recommended the same first step initiative that took place in Kagawong should be taken in Mindemoya as well.
At a Manitoulin Community Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) meeting last week, Dale Scott, a councillor in Central Manitoulin told the fellow members of CPAC, “over this summer there has been a lot of confusion at the intersection, with drivers not stopping and driving right through, not knowing which vehicles are supposed to cross first. If I’m elected to council again (in the upcoming municipal council elections) I am determined that something will be done to improve the situation—four way stop signs, lights or something.”
“Fender benders are not a problem, but if children are walking, crossing the street and they are not paying attention at the crosswalk, someone could get hurt,” said Counsellor Scott. He pointed out that at times when vehicles are going through the intersection, “drivers are not paying attention.”
“We were hoping to get data together this summer, but the MTO (Ministry of Transportation) didn’t carry out a study on this,” said Counsellor Scott.
OPP Staff Sergeant Webb said, “I think what should be done is for your community to look at striking a committee partnership between the police, the community and the MTO to look at solutions. In Kagawong when concerns were raised about people speeding through the community and vehicles being parked on the highway near Bridal Veil Falls, they (MTO) kept saying no suggestions on how this could be improved. What ended up happening is that the community leaders got in touch with our (OPP) detachment, and myself and Sergeant Mike Patterson, along with the municipality and MTO representatives held a meeting, struck a committee and looked at solutions to alleviate the concerns.”
“Maybe the same thing needs to take place here (in Central Manitoulin) where all three parties are brought to the same table to meet and look at solutions,” said Staff Sergeant Webb, who noted, “I can see the need for maybe four-way stop signs, an amber light, or maybe even a stop sign that is flashing that would help. I think the best course of action is to meet at the table and look at all the options that could be considered. Working with the MTO, we could develop a strategy that works.”
Brian Parker, a Billings township councillor told the meeting, “we had been trying for years to get something done with the situation in Kagawong and nothing happened. Then we sat down as a team with the OPP and the MTO and got things in place to help out.”
Counsellor Parker said the solutions that have been put in place in Kagawong have led to “a drastic improvement of the situation. And we don’t get anywhere near the complaints we did.”
