NORTH — Among the 62 new provincial traffic safety grant recipients, the Resort Village of Candle Lake, the Resort Village of Chitek Lake, Red Pheasant Cree Nation and Red Earth Cree Nation were awarded funding for local safety initiatives in northern Saskatchewan.
Sixty-two projects in 61 Saskatchewan communities will receive a combined total of nearly $1.54 million in traffic safety grants. Projects in the north receiving support include:
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Village of Bjorkdale – Speed awareness project – $2,766
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Resort Village of Candle Lake – Service road alignment and pedestrian crossing – $85,500
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Resort Village of Chitek Lake – Speed awareness – $7,875
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Village of Christopher Lake – Village trail along Hwy 263 – $79,070
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RM of Connaught – Heavy traffic speed reduction project – $14,706
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Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse – Bilingual STOP/NAKI sign replacement – $4,425
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Town of La Ronge – Ramsey Bay traffic safety initiative – $9,524
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Red Earth Cree Nation – Street lighting project – $100,000
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Red Pheasant Cree Nation – Traffic safety project – $20,124
The Resort Village of Candle Lake will receive $85,500 to support a pedestrian safety and roadway realignment project along Highway 265.
Mayor Colleen Lavoie said the project includes realigning the service road approach to better align with Bayview Drive, eliminating unsafe diagonal crossings, extending the pedestrian path from Bayview Drive to the north service road, installing a marked crosswalk with signalized controls, and paving the new approach.
“Our council recognizes the need for enhanced pedestrian and vehicle safety in this high-traffic corridor,” Lavoie said.
Candle Lake has seen increasing foot and vehicle traffic, especially during peak tourist seasons. The resort village is a popular destination with over 600 permanent residents and thousands of seasonal visitors, increasing the need for well-marked and secure pedestrian crossings (source).
"The Government of Saskatchewan and SGI are committed to delivering safer roads for everyone in Saskatchewan," said Jeremy Harrison, minister responsible for SGI. "This $1.5 million in provincial grants will enable 61 municipalities and First Nations to improve traffic safety in their communities."
