A retool of the Town of Creighton’s current zoning regulations is inching closer to being finalized. A public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. August 14 at the Creighton town office regarding the new zoning bylaw, which totals 126 pages in length. A regularly scheduled public council meeting will follow.
It’s the first large-scale update of Creighton zoning since 2012. Town council members have given the bylaw first and second readings, but will wait until after the public meeting to give any final approval. Confirmation of the public meeting was made at the last meeting of Creighton town council, held July 24.
“There’s nothing drastic in there that’s really going to affect much. It’s just about updating and clarifying and modernizing more than anything,”said Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler.
Speed bumps
Reckless drivers beware–the town now has some tools to keep the streets quiet.
The town has purchased four 10-foot-long mobile speed bumps and a set of stop signs with flashing lights. Most of the speed bumps will be put along Elander Avenue to start, but they may be relocated to other areas eventually.
“They are portable, so if we have to move them around, we can,”said Fidler.
The new stop signs will be placed at the intersection of Creighton’s Main Street and Creighton Avenue.
Green space
An update was provided by councillors on the new, as-yet-unnamed green space along Creighton Avenue. Work on the site is nearing the final stages, but not late enough for the announcement of an official unveiling date for the area.
“It’s still in progress. More has been done, but there’s still more yet to do. It’s come along really well,”said Fidler.
“There’s more rock being put in, there’s some more colour that’s going to be added to it. When the grass grows, it’ll be nice in there. There’s rock going to be put in around the trees, things like that.”
As for whether or not the town will hold an official grand opening for the site, Fidler said, “We probably will, but it will be a little while down the road.”
Federal letter
Councillors received feedback from the federal government for ongoing efforts to bolster the Regional Economic Development Committee (REDC). Mayor Fidler, acting on behalf of both the Town of Creighton and the REDC, sent a letter April 12 to the federal Ministry of Rural Economic Development. A response came back July 10.
“I am hearing about a number of challenges faced by rural communities across Canada. I appreciate the proactive steps you are taking in establishing a Regional Economic Development Commission, in light of the anticipated closure of the Hudbay mine and the related impacts to your community,”reads a portion of the letter, addressed from federal rural economic development minister Bernadette Jordan.
Fidler said the letter sent to the federal ministry was “very, very similar”to letters sent to the Saskatchewan government earlier this year. The end of the letter states “...officials are reaching out to you to discuss ideas.”That will come in the form of a meeting with ministry officials in Saskatoon later this year.
“It’s expected. It’s what I expected, and the response as well. They said they would forward it. I’ve already got a meeting set up with Western Diversification. That was the response from one of the other letters as well. That’s what I expected, but you’ve got to bring it to everybody’s attention,”Fidler said.
“You gotta keep writing the letters and you gotta keep bringing it up, or it will go by the wayside. So that’s why we keep sending our letters and keep pushing the buttons.”
