Anne Ostwald’s social studies 11 class want the city’s help to save their soles.
“Our goal is to have the path along Vimy Street, which is across from ADSS and parallel to the Bob Dailey Stadium, renovated and paved,” said student Brad Weber. The pathway, which is used by hundreds of high school students—as well as track and Glenwood Centre users—every single day has seen better days, Weber said.
“The pathway is a complete mess. In the winter it is a mud pit and in the summer, it is a dustbowl,” he said. Students at ADSS are in full support of the renovation.
“We handed out a petition to each class at ADSS. During the first block of the school day, within one hour, we received 340 signatures.”
It’s not just an aesthetic upgrade.
“Many pedestrians bypass this walkway and use the road. This puts them at risk of vehicular accidents but if they choose to walk on the path, they are at risk of slipping,” said student Ryan Hines.
The inconvenience and risk increases at peak times.
“There are numerous community events that occur at or around the Bob Dailey Stadium including track events, the annual Fall Fair, and Starlight Movie Night.” The cost to pave the pathway is estimated at $22,000.
“We decided that the best course of action is to construct a concrete sidewalk,” said Hines.
Coun. Ron Paulson questioned the need for a paved sidewalk, citing a possible lower cost for a gravel pathway.
“We can create a gravel walkway but ultimately I think the students have chosen the right design and the right material for it. There’s a lot of runoff from the field and so that gravel walkway would have a fair amount of maintenance,” said city engineer Guy Cicon.
Council referred the request to the engineering department for budget consideration.
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