Murray monthly meeting: Deschênes residents gather to discuss local issues

Jean-Daniel Potié

A dozen residents convened at the Belmont Community Centre on February 17, as Deschênes district councillor Caroline Murray invited the community to express their thoughts and frustrations on local issues.

The event is part of a series of monthly meetings hosted by Murray to discuss directly with residents before municipal council meetings.

Murray began with an overview of the agenda of the upcoming municipal council meeting that was held in Aylmer on February 18, highlighting items of local importance. She gave the floor to attendees to express opinions and ask questions on topics of their choice.

From making cycling pathways safer and more amenable during the winter, to modifying snow removal services, the small audience provided an active and lively discussion on how the city could improve its services.

A few residents remarked that the city should improve snow removal services for cyclists, noting that, for many people, cycling is an essential mode of transportation. One resident complained that the city’s regulations incentivize people to prioritize cars over other forms of transportation. Furthermore, residents expressed frustration regarding the city’s use of salt to melt ice and snow on streets, stating that it makes roads more dangerous for cyclists than if snow were simply packed firmly flat, and is destructive on bicycles themselves.

Murray responded that, starting next year, the city will subsidize snow removal services on sidewalks and multi-purpose paths with the same service priority level as roads and streets. “For me, this is essential,” she said. “It’s a question of equity, as much for kids who walk to school in the morning, as for people who decide to cycle to work, and people who need to walk to catch the bus because they don’t have the choice. For me, it’s not an option that they wouldn’t be considered at the same level as streets. We can’t prioritize one form of transportation over another. We must make sure that everyone is well served.”

The city’s current protocol sees that snowy roads get cleared every 12 hours while sidewalks and bike paths get cleared every 16 hours, Murray said. Furthermore, the city is looking into less abrasive solutions than salt to melt ice and snow, Murray stated, noting that the city initiated a pilot project this year to replace the use of salt on roads in certain neighbourhoods, including old Deschênes, favouring tapping the snow flat, and that the project has received glowing reviews so far. “For now, conclusions are very good,” she said. “I’ve received no complaints since the beginning of winter saying that roads are slippery. At the start, there was a certain amount of reticence, people saying “It doesn’t make sense, when there’s gonna be ice,” but when if it becomes a safety issue, then we’ll use abrasives. But then again, different kinds, not necessarily salt, maybe more gravel.”

Adding to her dissatisfaction with the city’s cycling infrastructure, Murray believes the city’s bike lanes need to be changed to be physically separated from the road, and that all streets should include bike lanes on both sides. “This is something that the population and local organizations want,” she said. “And us, at the political level, we’re trying to push it to the administration.”

Murray said the city intends to begin work on repairing chemin Lucerne this summer. She said the project will include an added paved shoulder for cyclists, as well as a sidewalk and the installation of traffic lights at the Grand-Châteaux intersection. “What we are doing is connecting several sections of the road,” she said, noting that the project should make walking along the road much safer. “We will have sidewalks in many strategic areas, for example from the rue Victor-Beaudry exit to rue Moore … we’ll also install a sidewalk from the Grand-Châteaux intersection all the way to the daycare.

As part of a $35-plus million city-wide investments, Murray announced that the city plans to support major road and aqueduct repair projects on chemin Cook and in the neighbourhood of old Deschenes. Confirming it is a long-term solution, Murray noted the work will involve replacing water pipes that are beyond their intended lifespan, and that the issue is particularly prevalent in old neighbourhoods including old Deschênes. While there is no set date for the work to begin, Murray said she’s glad to know its financing has been secured.

Using funds from the city’s royalty fund from sandpits and quarries, Murray said that the city plans to repave chemin Vanier from chemin Pink to chemin Vernon, including a paved shoulder for cyclists and sidewalks. With the project plans still in the works, Murray added that the city will launch a public consultation process next fall or winter. “The purpose is getting people’s ideas to make it the most convivial road possible, that responds to the needs of as many people as possible.” She said, the newly paved road should extend all the way to the new eco-centre, which should open in 2027 - the property having been bought a few months ago. Residents expressed frustration at how long the eco-centre project is taking. Murray said the approved investments are indicative that the city is profiting from diversifying its revenue streams.