Navigating parts of Moose Jaw can be difficult with signs that are faded or non-existent, a problem that the city’s Youth Advisory Committee is starting to notice as well.
During the committee’s meeting in May, members pointed out that many street signs are worn out. The group generated a list of intersections that have signs that are faded and missing. That list includes missing signs at the intersections of Lillooet Street and Ninth Avenue and Iroquois Street and 10th Avenue.
Faded signs were noted at the following instersections:
- 15th Avenue and Coteau Street
- 10th and Coteau
- Eighth and Coteau
- Third and Coteau
- First and Coteau
- Skipton Road and Coteau
- Iroquois and Second
- Third and Lillooet
- Seventh and Duffield
- 11th and Coteau
- Hastings and 11th
- Grandview and 13th
- 15th and Vaughan
- 16th and Hastings
- 16th and Warner
- Glendale and Spadina
- 10th and Warner
- Hastings and 10th
- 15th and Grandview
- 13th and Grandview
- 16th and Vaughan
- 16th and Hastings
- 13th and Spadina
- 15th and Spadina
This topic caught the eye of Coun. Jamey Logan during the June 14 regular council meeting, prompting him to inquire about the list.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie, the council rep on the committee, explained that the group discussed the list during its June 9 meeting after tabling it in May. This allowed him to discuss council’s plan to renew every sign in the community as part of a long-term budget commitment.
In the short-term, though, the list has been sent to city administration, so it knows which signs have been knocked down or are in poor shape.
During budget discussion meetings last December, council voted to initiate a street sign improvement program to replace every sign over eight years at an annual cost of $15,600, or $124,800 in total. The program will also address intersections where street signs do not currently exist.
There are an estimated 1,050 street signs throughout Moose Jaw and an estimated 100 intersections without signs. The new signs would have a 10-year warranty, but city administration believes a reasonable service life of 20 years could be expected.
Another topic the Youth Advisory Committee discussed during its May meeting was setting up a scavenger hunt around Moose Jaw using QR codes. The codes could tell the history of buildings or teach something about the community and then prompt users to search for another code.
A certificate could be given to users who finish the challenge.
While the committee liked this idea, it was noted that this was a big project to take on with two months left in the committee’s term. Therefore, the next committee might have to pursue this in the fall.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 28.
