One youngster with a mischievous gleam in his eye assured political leaders that the new active transportation link between two Sechelt elementary schools would be used to stoke up school rivalry, as he and his class helped break ground for the municipality's latest active transportation expansion.
Lisa Allen's Grade 4-5 class from West Sechelt Elementary School joined Mayor John Henderson, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, Sechelt staff and Maycon Construction Management representatives to loosen the dirt for excavators on May 29.
The $4.38 million project will allow easy human-powered (active) transportation between West Sechelt and Kinnikinnick Elementary Schools, and connect West Sechelt with West Porpoise Bay.
"We think that fixing up this road will help not just our students, but our community," students told the small gathering, giving a speech prepared for the occasion. "Our class uses this road weekly. We go down Mason Road to go to the beach to learn and play."
According to a press release, the project work involves:
- "Raised sidewalk and bike path on Mason Road from Highway 101 to Norwest Bay Road;
- Raised crosswalk with pedestrian-controlled flashing lights at Norvan Road and Mason Road;
- Multi-use path on Mason Road between Norwest Bay Road and Reeves Road;
- Path improvements on Reeves Road from Mason Road to Crowston Trail;
- Path improvements on Crowston Trail, including a section of trail on Ripple Way;
- Active Transportation path on Ripple Way from Kinnikinnick Elementary School to Kinnikinnick Park;
- Installation of drainage and culverts as required;
- Design and engineering of Burnett Road multi-use pathway, from the ocean to Sechelt Inlet Road to prepare for future construction; and,
- Design and engineering for an active transportation corridor on Sechelt Inlet Road from Burnett Road to the provincial park boundary to prepare for future construction."
The 4.5 km of pathways – as well as a separate project of 1.5 km of biking lanes downtown, funded through BC Active Transportation Infrastructure – are expected to be completed by the end of the year, Sechelt's manager of engineering projects Sanath Bandara said in an email. Altogether, the projects will create a loop: Downtown, West Sechelt and West Porpoise Bay.
Phase one of the project – slated to begin the first week of June – will see work done along Mason Road from Highway 101 to Reeves Road. "Traffic people will be on hand all the time during construction," Sechelt's communications manager Lindsay Vickers told Coast Reporter in an email. A tender for phase two – from Mason along Reeves Road to Crowston and Crowtson to Ripple Way and Ripple Way to Lighthouse Avenue – will go out soon.
“We know students, families and people of all ages will choose to get around by active transportation when there are safe sidewalks, crosswalks and paths in their neighbourhoods,” said Simons in the press release “This is a great example of how shared planning and vision can connect schools, people and communities.”
“As a leader for green initiatives, improving our roads and trails to create safe, healthy and accessible ways for people to get around our community makes perfect sense for Sechelt,” said Sechelt Mayor John Henderson in the release. “This network will benefit people of all ages, from babies in strollers to seniors on mobility aids, along with kids and families walking to and from school every day.”
