Maryse Carmichael, Moose Jaw's new city manager, spoke at the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce AGM on Sept. 28, and said she and Mayor Clive Tolley had directly addressed the 9th Avenue Northwest and Hwy #1 intersection with Premier Scott Moe.
[Editorial note: An earlier version of this article said the issue raised was the 9th Avenue SW slope just past the intersection of 9th Ave. SW and Bradley St. This is the corrected version.]
Carmichael said she and Tolley had met with the premier and with Tim McLeod, MLA for Moose Jaw North and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors, and Rural and Remote Health. They took the chance to talk about the safety concerns with the intersection, and called it a priority in provincial/municipal relations.
Carmichael explained the conversation in the context of answering questions from Chamber members about her first few months as city manager.
"The overview for me ... is probably divided into, one, my role as a strategic advisor and policy advisor with council, being with (city administration), to ensure that (two,) city administration implements the directives and the direction that (City Council) would like to have."
Carmichael expanded that job outline after with an additional item after her co-speaker at the event, former MLA and provincial finance minister Kevin Doherty, said that politics was heavily influenced by continual lobbying from stakeholders.
In response to questions about joint provincial/municipal projects, Doherty said that elected officials and municipal representatives need to "stay in the ears" of their local MLAs and relevant cabinet ministers "over and over again" in order to influence provincial policies.
Carmichael noted how perfectly that led into another issue and humorously promised attendees the moment had not been rehearsed.
"I do see my role, and of course Mayor Tolley and city council, to be involved with stakeholders. ... Mayor Tolley and I were in Regina three weeks ago and met with Premier Moe, and we took the time to be there with Tim McLeod as well.
"One important topic that we brought up, because it is a provincial/municipal issue, is the Highway #1 and 9th Avenue North West intersection. To us, that was an important topic to bring. I briefed the council on my observations from my first three months, (and it was) the number one issue that was flagged, and that flag is safety. Safety for residents, safety for city employees, and that absolutely is a need, so we advocated and discussed the issue at the provincial level."
In response to a request for clarification from Mayor Tolley's office, Tolley said that "the roadway topic that the City Manager and I raised with the Premier was related to our wish to have traffic lights installed at the intersection of 9th Avenue Northwest and the #1 Highway and our wish to continue to have access to 9th Ave. N.W. directly from the #1 HWY."
Tolley noted the recent Ministry of Highways Corridor Study had resulted in a variety of proposed possibilities, some of which are not what the City would look for.
"The Moose Jaw Corridor Study-Highway 1 Planning ... provided the public an opportunity to give feedback on the options prepared by the Department of Highways. ... Some of the options put forward by the Department of Highways would result in closing north-south vehicular access to cross Highway 1 at 9th Ave. N.W., something the City of Moose Jaw is not in favour of, and the businesses operating on the north service road are opposed to."
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