Given the somewhat unique intersection of Front Street and Queen Street in Emo (and the safety concerns it brings), council agreed at its Aug. 21 meeting to look at the need for more stop signs there.
Currently, there is no stop sign at the south end of Queen Street and no stop sign for vehicles heading east on Front Street. Westbound traffic on Front Street, however, is required to stop.
The situation is made a bit more complicated with a section of Jesse Street, which meets Queen Street at a point very close to Front Street—almost making it a peculiar four-way intersection.
“It’s something we should look at,” noted Emo Reeve Ed Carlson, adding residents have approached council with safety concerns for both pedestrians and motorists there.
Some would like to see a stop sign at the south end of Queen Street, where one had been located once in the past.
Coun. Ken Fisher explained, though, that with slippery conditions in the winter months, vehicles had difficulty stopping at the sign.
With the fear of vehicles sliding into a house at the end of the road or worse (over the river bank), the stop sign was removed.
“I think it was worse when we had the stop sign there,” Reeve Carlson remarked.
Coun. Gary Judson noted at one point, one loyal resident had volunteered to salt the intersection each winter morning, so for a while vehicles had no problem stopping.
But that person no longer is offering his services.
“Maybe some places should be a priority in the winter,” Coun. Fisher suggested.
No decisions were made as to how to proceed, but Emo council plans to look into the matter.
In other business at last Tuesday night’s regular meeting, municipal water rates were increased from $39 a month to $42 a month while sewer rates were raised from $19 a month to $22 a month.
In addition, water dispenser fees were upped from 20 cents a gallon to 30 cents a gallon.
The increases, which were addressed at a public meeting back in June, will be effective as of July 1 for the July/August billing, which is sent out in September.
Also at last Tuesday’s meeting, council:
•agreed to apply to the Canadian National Railway to fix the railroad crossing on Florence Street as its condition currently is unsafe for pedestrians and traffic;
•discussed obtaining new locks and keys for the Emo landfill site;
•accepted a quote from Hettinga Mechanical on the replacement of the furnace at the Emo Curling Club;
•agreed to allow the Northwestern Health Unit to use the Emo Arena on Nov. 5 in order to hold a People Against Illicit Narcotics (PAIN) meeting; and
•passed a resolution to support and endorse, in principle, the Emo Spray Park project to purchase and install spray park equipment at the Lions Park in Emo—and further to endorse the fundraising initiatives of the committee.
Emo council’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at the municipal office.
Intersection graphic
(2 col. by 3.5 inches)
