Share the Road, Stratford Rd.

Cyclists across PEI have been trying to educate and activate governments, both municipally and provincially for decades. It is great to see the City of Charlottetown listening, learning and implementing plans for safer cycling.
Over here in Stratford, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has included ‘share the road’ signage and wider shoulders for cyclists.
Progress is happening and those who have been working on this should be congratulated for the work done to date:
Cycling PEI, all of those cyclists who have called and emailed TIR and their towns and cities departments, the governments and planners themselves and of course, motorists for learning how to share the road better with cyclists.

As mentioned, TIR has been working in my district of Stratford-Kinlock to make things safer with signage and wide shoulders:

- 12 Share the Road signs in high traffic areas in Stratford.
- 1.5 metre shoulders on both sides of the Stratford Rd. between Barclay and the blue church.

The City of Charlottetown now has these two areas with official bike lanes which includes painted lines and bike stenciled logos:

- Belvedere Avenue, from Brackley Point Road to Mount Edward Road;
- Maple Avenue, from Belvedere Avenue to Ash Drive.

Immediate plans to create dedicated bike lanes are in the works for the following areas:

- Belvedere Avenue, from Mount Edward Road through the new roundabout to Queen Street.
- Queen Street. The road doesn’t have the necessary width for a dedicated bike lane so the city will be putting up ‘Share the Road’ signage.
- Oak Drive, from Brackley Point Road to Maple Avenue.
- Pine Drive, from Brackley Point Road to Maple Avenue.
- Mount Edward Road, from Belvedere Avenue to the roundabout. That section will also be completely resurfaced.
- Allen Street, from the roundabout to the Confederation Trail.
- Allen Street, from the trail to Queen Street will be designated with ‘Share the Road’ signs.
- Mount Edward Road, from Belvedere Avenue to Woodlawn Drive. Work is now taking place on the shoulder of the road.
- University Avenue, from Belvedere Avenue to Capital Drive.

Let’s keep those wheels turning and make PEI safer for cyclists! in fact, let’s get out there and ride our bikes and get some exercise, save money on gas and help reduce our carbon footprint!

Please be extra careful for the next couple of months while construction takes place on the Stratford Road between the blue church and Barclay St. TIR is doing their best to keep the site safe but the public needs to take extra caution. Drive slowly and be prepared to stop suddenly. Try and stay off your cell phones even if you are using your bluetooth. Any distraction can cause a fender bender.

Full reconstruction of the road includes:

- cold planing the existing asphalt full depth;
- excavating the subbase;
- placing select borrow (sandstone);
- placing 300 mm of Class ‘A’ gravel;
- placing 110 mm of asphalt base (in two lifts);
- placing 45 mm of asphalt seal;
- replacing 900 metres of storm sewer;
- replacing approximately 25 catch basins (storm manholes);
- replacing the arch culvert between Quiet Water and Redding Heights with a concrete box culvert;
- placing new concrete curb along both sides of this section;
- replacing the sidewalk along the north side of the road;
- mill and pave 50 mm of asphalt through the Stratford Road/Keppoch Road intersection;
- improvements to the alignment of the Bayside Drive intersection;

There will also be a safe cycling shoulder on BOTH sides of the road of at least 1.5 metres. Work on the remainder of the Stratford Rd. to Glen Stewart Dr. is expected to begin after the completion of this project.

In Canada, the 1996 Census was the first to collect data on unpaid work, marking a major breakthrough for feminists across the country and providing an example for other countries around the world. What do the statistics tell us? Women and men in Canada have similar total workloads but men spend most of their time, 4.5 hours a day, in paid work and 2.7 hours in unpaid work. For women, the statistics are reversed with 2.8 hours in paid work and 4.4 hours in unpaid work.2 Women perform 2/3 of the 25 billion hours of unpaid work Canadians perform every year and on average women spend twice as much time (2/3) on unpaid work as on paid work (1/3).” (Women and the Economy)

Our own PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women was part of that ‘call’ for modifications to the Census to better reflect the realities of women and unpaid (and paid) work back in the mid nineties. Women and Unpaid Work.

Much progress has been made. Many federally and provincially funded programs have been developed and enhanced over the last 2 decades. Programs that move us forward as a society that support women, children and men equally. And there is more to do yet.

This from a CBC report, July 28th, 2010:

“2 … Number of formal complaints to the Privacy Commissioner about the long form received in 2006. One was resolved before an official investigation was launched. The second was determined to have been covered by the Privacy Act.

50 … Number of complaints the privacy commissioner has received about the census over the last 20 years.”

So what is the motivation to ditch the long form census? What could possibly be the reason? Money? Perhaps. But at what cost?

I believe the investment in the long form census is part of the cost of being Canadian. If by this meticulously gathered information it means better lives for Canadians, then the effort is worth it. It is obvious that Canadians are not complaining about it. In fact, I would argue that Canadians understand completely how important it is to be part of the census.

If it is not about money, then what? The lack of understanding and compassion for marginalized peoples of Canada? Or the inability see our country as unique and separate from the United States? How many former leaders are rolling over in their graves, or spinning in their office chairs, regardless of political stripe, wondering where we went off the rails?

This decision to get rid of the long form census is as much about economics as it is about doing the right thing. Appeasing to the far right with the notion of frugality and the heralded lack of compassion for anyone on the fringe, is, in my view, completely irresponsible and un-Canadian.

41% of Canada’s GDP is from unpaid work. Without that information we fail to properly serve the women, children and men of our great country.

Congratulations to Aspin Kemp for such a successful first year on Prince Edward Island. Their company has grown considerably since coming to PEI just over a year ago. They quickly grew out of their initial space in the Stratford Business Park and now occupy a much larger space where all of their projects can be developed and tested. Good to see Aspin Kemp employing skilled Islanders and giving them valuable experience all over the world. Aspin Kemp is making Stratford and PEI a better place to live and work.

I had the honour of representing the Province of PEI at the 2010 Convocation of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College this past week. I met some great people, including Co-Presidents Dr. Lesie MacLaren and Dr. Bernie MacDonald, the Minisiter of Agriculture in NS, John MacDonell and several professors and students.

Among the greatest people I met were the 6 Island graduates:

Shawn Loo – Springfield – Bachelor of Science – Environmental Studies – Honours
Mark Roop – Charlottetown – Bachelor of Technology – Environmental Horticulture – Honours
Logan Jewell – Cornwall – Diploma of Technology – Enterprise Management – Dairy Farming Technology
Cole Noonan – Albany – Diploma of Technology – Enterprise Management – Dairy Farming Technology
Cody MacCormack – Souris – Diploma of Technology – Enterprise Management – Farming Technology
Tim Murphy – Augustine Cove – Diploma of Technology – Enterprise Management – Farming Technology

Shawn also was the recipient of a NSAC Student Leadership Award in Outstanding Communication for his work on the school paper.

What a great bunch of young people. It was great to see their families as well, all so very proud of their sons. Congratulations to the Island 2010 graduates of NSAC. Job well done.

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An interesting fact about NSAC is that they have been under the Department of Agriculture since 1905 and have never been independent of government. However, “the college is in the process of transitioning from a branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture to an institution governed by a board like the rest of the universities in the province.

Being a part of government precludes the college from fundraising and applying for some research funding. The structure also impedes the college’s ability to hire and retain staff.” – Truro Daily News

Good luck to the administration and transition team as the College moves toward their independence. Great move!

Safe Lawns dot org is a great resource, and in fact, Paul Tukey, founder of Safe Lawns dot org, is traveling across PEI to help Islanders learn about organic lawn care. He is also giving a very comprehensive back story about the history of lawn pesticides and the public’s reaction to their use. He also provides some real practical solutions for those concerned about the look of their lawn. There was a great turnout at the Charlottetown session. The evening viewing of the film “Chemical Reaction” was a smaller crowd, but the film was available for sale, and I bought one, so let me know if you want to check it out. Fascinating piece of work and worth watching.

One of the ideas for applying organic fertilizer to your lawn is Compost Tea! Which includes steeping some compost for a certain amount of time and applying the liquid to your lawn. Luck for us here on PEI there is a new business starting up in Oyster Bed called “Oyster Bed Compost”. Owner, Sid Annema, is producing a high value compost tea available to the public very soon.

His contact info is:

Sid Annema
902-628-5845
sidney_annema@hotmailcom

Here is the contact info for the Department of Environment Energy and Forestry:

Now the work begins to educate and promote safe riding for cyclists and motorists. Real lessons on how to share the road.

Below is a video produced by The Chicago Department of Transportation and the Chicago Transit Authority. Great tips for sharing the road:

Share the Road – Buses and Bicycles from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

I will send the map to the Department of Transportation and Public Works every couple of days to ensure they are up to date and can act quickly to repair our roads.

Thank you,

Cynthia

Premier Robert Ghiz announced funding to kick-start the organization of the 2010 Festival of Small Halls during a visit to the Murray River Community Centre. Premier Ghiz made the announcement with Ray Brow, chair of Small Halls; Hon. Neil LeClair, Minister responsible for rural development; and Hon. Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

“The Festival of Small Halls has resonated strongly with Islanders,” said Premier Ghiz. “Islanders have a deep attachment to our rural communities and the local culture that is showcased during the Festival. We are pleased to support the 2010 Festival of Small Halls and we look forward to working with the new board of Small Halls to implement the vision being established in its strategic plan.”

Five staff will be hired to develop and market the 2010 Festival of Small Halls, which will be held June 11 – 20. The Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning is providing $88,900 through the Community Internship Program, a component of the Rural Action Plan. Small Halls is providing $10,000 toward the initiative.

“Small halls are the heart of our rural communities,” said Ray Brow, chair of Small Halls. “This festival showcases Island arts and culture, presented in collaboration with prominent national and international artists. I am pleased to see the important role that the Festival of Small Halls is taking as a driver of rural tourism and as a platform for the best of Island talent.”

“The Community Internship Program is designed to encourage employment and training opportunities for post-secondary graduates on Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Campbell. “Work experiences with employers, such as Small Halls, give local young people opportunities to develop their skills while revitalizing their community. We are pleased to be contributing to the Festival of Small Halls and to the development of rural PEI.”

“The Rural Action Plan is a government-wide effort to create opportunities in rural Prince Edward Island,” said Minister LeClair. “In addition to the benefits of supporting Island arts and culture, we view the Festival of Small Halls as an important vehicle to expand tourism in our rural regions – a stated goal of the Rural Action Plan. Support for the restructured and revitalized 2010 Festival of Small Halls will be a cornerstone in the development of a province-wide cultural festival, which will be fully developed in the coming years in collaboration with communities and the tourism industry.”

Support for the Community Internship Program is provided through the Canada-PEI Labour Market Development Agreement. This investment is a component of PEI’s Rural Action Plan, 2010-2015. Through the Rural Action Plan, government is working with business people, communities and industry to strengthen the economy in rural communities across the Island.

In June 2008, the inaugural Festival of Small Halls was a celebration of music, art and dance across PEI, and showcased a stellar line up of Island and Atlantic Canadian performers with 49 shows in 16 small halls throughout the province.

During the summer of 2009, the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development funded a three-year business plan and strategy for the future development of the Festival.

Media Contact: Kim Devine