Seniors asking for a new crosswalk at Elmira retirement home
Seniors in Elmira are pushing for a new crosswalk at the corner of Snyder Avenue and Church Street.
They say the intersection is too dangerous for those looking to cross the road from Chartwell Elmira Retirement Residence.
“Something has to be done for the safety of everybody,” said Lorne Martin, who lives at the home.
The posted speed limit at that intersection is 50 km/h, but residents say many drivers are going much more than that.
"The traffic, even when you've got walkers and wheelchairs, they don't really slow down," said resident Brenda Bartmann.
She's one of many who would also like warning lights installed on each hill to alert approaching drivers.
There is a small island for pedestrians between the lanes with a sign warning them to yield to traffic. Another sign warns drivers that it is used as a crossing for seniors.
Woolwich Council endorsed the crosswalk request on Tuesday night. Now that they've given their support, the issue will move on to regional council.
Murray Martin, the councillor for Ward 3, said the intersection has been a concern for at least 15 years, and remembers it being a problem when his mother was a resident at the retirement home 10 years ago.
“I know very soon after she was there, because she walked a lot, we spoke to the region and I think they said that it wasn’t warranted or something, so this has been around for a long time,” he said.
Patrick Merlihan, the councillor for Ward 1, said they're unlikely to get the support of regional staff.
“They've already told me that it's not warranted at Church and Snyder. I've been working on the reconstruction project with the region on that team.”
Merlihan said he was told regional staff will evaluate the intersection for signals and lights and suggests his colleagues may need to do more than just endorse the idea.
“This really has to go past staff and it needs to go to regional council."
Merlihan said it took years for the region to approve a crosswalk at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market.
“With St. Jacobs, it fixed the problem. We should be in the business of fixing problems. So this is a problem that I think is fixable. We just need the region to work with us.”
Several Woolwich council members also suggested this was an opportunity for regional council to look at installing a crosswalk at the other end of Church Street.
“I’m able bodied and I can run, and it's not comfortable crossing the street there," said Ward 1 Councillor Scott McMillan. "Up by Bolender Park is another area where we could use some more pedestrian access.”
The region was not available for a comment Tuesday night, but said it would look into the request in the morning.
Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz said the region is conducting a review of the intersection and is expected to announce its findings in January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Proportion of French speakers declines nearly everywhere in Canada, including Quebec
The proportion of Canadians who predominantly speak French at home declined in all provinces and territories except Yukon between 2016 and 2021, according to the latest census release.

The return of Zellers: Hudson's Bay to resurrect Canadian discount retail chain
Canadian department store Zellers hopes to make a comeback next year, a decade after the discount chain shuttered most of its locations.
BREAKING | Ontario extending $10/day child-care opt-in deadline to get more operators to apply
Ontario is extending the deadline for child-care operators to apply for the $10-a-day program and standardizing the process in an attempt to get more providers to sign up.
Intelligence memo flagged possible 'violent revenge' after Ottawa protest shutdown
Newly disclosed documents show federal intelligence officials warned decision-makers that the police dispersal of 'Freedom Convoy' protesters in Ottawa last winter could prompt an 'opportunistic attack' against a politician or symbol of government.
Why is ArriveCan still mandatory, and what is Ottawa's plan for the app?
The glitch-prone app touted as an efficient border tool early in the pandemic has become a punching bag for critics who question its utility -- but ArriveCan may be here to stay.
Trump's angry words spur warnings of real violence: officials
A growing number of ardent Donald Trump supporters seem ready to strike back against the FBI or others who they believe go too far in investigating the former U.S. president.
Warnings issued for B.C.'s South Coast amid brief heat wave
Much of the B.C.’s South Coast is under a heat warning with temperatures expected to soar.
TikToker puts restaurants, bars to the test over wheelchair accessibility
A Toronto-based disability advocate is using the power of TikTok to raise awareness over the lack of wheelchair accessibility at many restaurants and bars.
Increased loneliness, isolation a side effect of inflation for Canadian seniors
Canadian seniors are being forced to make tough choices, cutting out frills and nice-to-haves in the face of near 40-year-high inflation rates. But older adults also face a unique, less-talked-about challenge — the increased social isolation that experts say often occurs as a result of high inflation.