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LETTER: Sidewalks needed in Trout Creek

I have heard several car on car accidents and even heard a car hitting a young boy on his bike
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Dear Editor:

We have recently moved to Summerland from Penticton and Terrace. We spent the past year planning and building a new home at Trout Creek. Living in Summerland has been a dream of ours for many years and it took longer than we hoped but we saved and worked hard and finally made the move.

During our building process we quickly noticed how much traffic drove up and down Johnson Street. It’s a main entrance and exit to the highway and connects the wonderful children’s school, the beach, gas station and for many tourists, it’s a scenic route.

From my house I have heard several car on car accidents and even heard the sounds of a car hitting a young boy on his bike. Squeal, bang, child screaming, crying, ambulance siren.

On long hot summer days my wife and toddler would take breaks from building the house and walk to the park or beach. This was something we wanted to do every day; however, it became quite difficult and scary due to the inadequate space to walk.

Car after car after truck would be driving up or down Johnson St. and force us to pull the stroller off the road and stand and wait for the vehicles to drive by before we could move forward.

The issue is the block connecting the school does not have a sidewalk. Sidewalks are so important for not only the physical safety but also the mental safety of all.

Trout Creek is known for young families, yet, I think there are only three sidewalks in the whole area. One on one side of the school and two on another side of the school. But people walk to and from the school and Powell Beach, not just around two sides of the school.

Everyone has to be on alert everywhere at Trout Creek, people park on the side of the road and force bikers or walkers to jump in and out of the road.

I am not surprised that young boy got hit by the car on his bike.

There was no sidewalk.

I urge you to please install a sidewalk from the gas station on the highway to the school and again from the school to Powell beach, just to start. With more and more people moving there and building with rental suites, we need these sidewalks before more people get hurt or worse.

It is winter now. There is no reason why we can’t have a sidewalk done early summer. The start of the next school year depends on this for the safety of all.

Devin J. Craig

Summerland