Our system of democracy may not always be perfect, but it’s exciting when it works, when people step forward and take part in the process to voice their opinion, to try and make a difference to how things work.
There was an example of democracy at work on Monday night at Weyburn city council, when some 80 people crammed every spare inch of space in the council chambers, including sitting on the floor or standing along the walls lining the chamber.
Clearly the chambers weren’t built for an audience of this size, but that was okay — they were there to show support for an issue they believed in very strongly. In this case, it was the city’s Traffic Bylaw, with some major changes being proposed.
They weren’t there to support or oppose the change in the city’s speed limit, they were there on behalf of the Souris River Snowmobile Club, to oppose the proposed banning of all snowmobiles and ATVs from any operations within Weyburn city limits.
The club’s president spoke briefly, but the main plea on behalf of the snowmobilers was made passionately by the provincial head of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, who had a very strong case to make and answered the questions and concerns raised by city councillors on this issue.
In the end, council opted to separate out the rules regarding snowmobile use out of the Traffic Bylaw so they could be dealt with on their own, and gave it second reading, with third and final reading to be done in two weeks’ time.
On the issue of the speed limit, democracy took a different form, but it was still in evidence as many residents phoned or emailed or posted on social media their views, with about three-quarters of those calling expressing their opposition to raising the general speed limit from 40 km/h to 50.
Whether or not the opposition is justified, the issue of safety was paramount to most of those who called, and they were concerned enough about this issue to express their opinion that they didn’t want to see higher speeds on city streets.
Again, council listened to these concerns, and gave second reading to the bylaw to maintain the speed at 40, and to go further by reducing the speed to 30 km/h in the school zones. This will address a concern that many residents have that there should be lower speeds around areas where small children are coming and going to school, and this is a good thing.
So the end result is, democracy in this corner of the world was active, and worked, to serve the interests of the residents of the City of Weyburn. — Greg Nikkel
