An issue of safety on a Hay River street, which first arose in 2016, has made a return to town council.
As council discussed this year's capital budget on Jan. 9, Deputy Mayor Donna Lee Jungkind objected to $180,000 tentatively allocated to move and improve the pedestrian walkway along the Super A service road.
"I don't know if I really fully agree with this whole project," said Jungkind. "To me, spending $180,000 on basically a walkway that people already walk down that street and for the most part are fairly safe. I don't see that there's really an issue. And in my opinion I don't feel like it's worth the $180,000 for us to spend at this time."
The capital budget will be voted on later this month.
Mayor Brad Mapes disagreed with the assessment that the walkway is not needed, pointing out it is a safety issue and that it leads to the crosswalk over Highway 2 to the Hay River Regional Health Centre.
"I know we have lots of streets where we don't have sidewalks, but this is to the hospital," he said.
Mapes argued the GNWT should help pay for the walkway because it is leading to the hospital.
Jungkind said she would only support the project if the GNWT came up with funding.
Currently, there is a walkway on the east side of service road. It is designated by a line on the pavement.
In 2016, some town councillors raised concern that the existing walkway is dangerous due to the many vehicles entering and leaving businesses on the east side of the road – including backing out over the walking lane.
Along with the Super A grocery store and its convenience store and gas bar, other businesses and buildings on the service road include Hay River Suites, Monster Recreational Services, an engineering firm and a church.
The proposal is to create a two-metre-wide walkway with barriers to separate it from the traffic. It would be on the west side of the service road and away from the traffic entering and exiting the businesses.
The walkway would stretch from McRorie Road to the crosswalk on Highway 2.