Ask questions about the Centennial Street project

Questions about the Centennial Street Modernization project?

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  • Share The town's "Sustainable Waterfront Management Plan" (SWARP) at Section 6.4.2(c) indicates that one of the objectives of the plan is to "encourage and facilitate Multi-Modal transportation (Automobile, shuttle bus, pedestrian, bicycle)". Further, on page 46 of the report, it is stated that the goal of the 50st redevelopment plan is to make it a "Complete Street", which per the definitions of the SWARP, includes areas for bicycle use alongside pedestrians and automobiles. Currently, there is no way to bike from south of the railroad tracks to the trails along lakeshore drive without either riding on the sidewalks (and putting pedestrians at risk of collision) or riding on the street (putting cyclists at risk of a lethal collision). Many families are uncomfortable biking either on the road or the sidewalk with their young children. This would be addressed by implementing a grade separated bike lane as proposed in Figure 29 of SWARP. Instead the proposal makes no mention of how the town plans to facilitate bike or scooter traffic in favour of maintaining the approximately 20 parking stalls on the east side of the road. Many residents live too far from the lake to walk, but not far enough to justify the hassle of driving and finding parking on a busy summer weekend. If there was a safe, grade separated bike lane, residents would be encouraged to bike, alongside their children to spend the day on lakeshore drive. From the farthest end of town, it would be a less than 15 minute bike ride. Why did the Town ignore it's objective to promote multi-modal transportation and stated objective of turning 50st into a complete street in favour of maintaining approximately 20 parking stalls along the east side of the road? on Facebook Share The town's "Sustainable Waterfront Management Plan" (SWARP) at Section 6.4.2(c) indicates that one of the objectives of the plan is to "encourage and facilitate Multi-Modal transportation (Automobile, shuttle bus, pedestrian, bicycle)". Further, on page 46 of the report, it is stated that the goal of the 50st redevelopment plan is to make it a "Complete Street", which per the definitions of the SWARP, includes areas for bicycle use alongside pedestrians and automobiles. Currently, there is no way to bike from south of the railroad tracks to the trails along lakeshore drive without either riding on the sidewalks (and putting pedestrians at risk of collision) or riding on the street (putting cyclists at risk of a lethal collision). Many families are uncomfortable biking either on the road or the sidewalk with their young children. This would be addressed by implementing a grade separated bike lane as proposed in Figure 29 of SWARP. Instead the proposal makes no mention of how the town plans to facilitate bike or scooter traffic in favour of maintaining the approximately 20 parking stalls on the east side of the road. Many residents live too far from the lake to walk, but not far enough to justify the hassle of driving and finding parking on a busy summer weekend. If there was a safe, grade separated bike lane, residents would be encouraged to bike, alongside their children to spend the day on lakeshore drive. From the farthest end of town, it would be a less than 15 minute bike ride. Why did the Town ignore it's objective to promote multi-modal transportation and stated objective of turning 50st into a complete street in favour of maintaining approximately 20 parking stalls along the east side of the road? on Twitter Share The town's "Sustainable Waterfront Management Plan" (SWARP) at Section 6.4.2(c) indicates that one of the objectives of the plan is to "encourage and facilitate Multi-Modal transportation (Automobile, shuttle bus, pedestrian, bicycle)". Further, on page 46 of the report, it is stated that the goal of the 50st redevelopment plan is to make it a "Complete Street", which per the definitions of the SWARP, includes areas for bicycle use alongside pedestrians and automobiles. Currently, there is no way to bike from south of the railroad tracks to the trails along lakeshore drive without either riding on the sidewalks (and putting pedestrians at risk of collision) or riding on the street (putting cyclists at risk of a lethal collision). Many families are uncomfortable biking either on the road or the sidewalk with their young children. This would be addressed by implementing a grade separated bike lane as proposed in Figure 29 of SWARP. Instead the proposal makes no mention of how the town plans to facilitate bike or scooter traffic in favour of maintaining the approximately 20 parking stalls on the east side of the road. Many residents live too far from the lake to walk, but not far enough to justify the hassle of driving and finding parking on a busy summer weekend. If there was a safe, grade separated bike lane, residents would be encouraged to bike, alongside their children to spend the day on lakeshore drive. From the farthest end of town, it would be a less than 15 minute bike ride. Why did the Town ignore it's objective to promote multi-modal transportation and stated objective of turning 50st into a complete street in favour of maintaining approximately 20 parking stalls along the east side of the road? on Linkedin Email The town's "Sustainable Waterfront Management Plan" (SWARP) at Section 6.4.2(c) indicates that one of the objectives of the plan is to "encourage and facilitate Multi-Modal transportation (Automobile, shuttle bus, pedestrian, bicycle)". Further, on page 46 of the report, it is stated that the goal of the 50st redevelopment plan is to make it a "Complete Street", which per the definitions of the SWARP, includes areas for bicycle use alongside pedestrians and automobiles. Currently, there is no way to bike from south of the railroad tracks to the trails along lakeshore drive without either riding on the sidewalks (and putting pedestrians at risk of collision) or riding on the street (putting cyclists at risk of a lethal collision). Many families are uncomfortable biking either on the road or the sidewalk with their young children. This would be addressed by implementing a grade separated bike lane as proposed in Figure 29 of SWARP. Instead the proposal makes no mention of how the town plans to facilitate bike or scooter traffic in favour of maintaining the approximately 20 parking stalls on the east side of the road. Many residents live too far from the lake to walk, but not far enough to justify the hassle of driving and finding parking on a busy summer weekend. If there was a safe, grade separated bike lane, residents would be encouraged to bike, alongside their children to spend the day on lakeshore drive. From the farthest end of town, it would be a less than 15 minute bike ride. Why did the Town ignore it's objective to promote multi-modal transportation and stated objective of turning 50st into a complete street in favour of maintaining approximately 20 parking stalls along the east side of the road? link

    The town's "Sustainable Waterfront Management Plan" (SWARP) at Section 6.4.2(c) indicates that one of the objectives of the plan is to "encourage and facilitate Multi-Modal transportation (Automobile, shuttle bus, pedestrian, bicycle)". Further, on page 46 of the report, it is stated that the goal of the 50st redevelopment plan is to make it a "Complete Street", which per the definitions of the SWARP, includes areas for bicycle use alongside pedestrians and automobiles. Currently, there is no way to bike from south of the railroad tracks to the trails along lakeshore drive without either riding on the sidewalks (and putting pedestrians at risk of collision) or riding on the street (putting cyclists at risk of a lethal collision). Many families are uncomfortable biking either on the road or the sidewalk with their young children. This would be addressed by implementing a grade separated bike lane as proposed in Figure 29 of SWARP. Instead the proposal makes no mention of how the town plans to facilitate bike or scooter traffic in favour of maintaining the approximately 20 parking stalls on the east side of the road. Many residents live too far from the lake to walk, but not far enough to justify the hassle of driving and finding parking on a busy summer weekend. If there was a safe, grade separated bike lane, residents would be encouraged to bike, alongside their children to spend the day on lakeshore drive. From the farthest end of town, it would be a less than 15 minute bike ride. Why did the Town ignore it's objective to promote multi-modal transportation and stated objective of turning 50st into a complete street in favour of maintaining approximately 20 parking stalls along the east side of the road?

    Byronrogy asked 10 months ago

    Hello Byron, 

    Thanks for taking the time to chat with us about the Centennial Street design plans. 

    Bike lanes were not a consideration when our downtown core was built. Space is limited. This is a tough problem to solve. Council and staff must balance safety and usability with the economic health of downtown. 

    How did we decide what features to include? 

    1. Weighed pros and cons of each idea: 

    During engagement and planning, we consider many ideas. Not all ideas make it into the detailed engineering phase, such as bike lanes (page 80) or sharrows (page 71). It’s not possible to use every idea and stay balanced with what is practical, affordable, and best for a project. We carefully balance costs and needs, with feedback from Lakers 

    2. Feedback from Lakers: 

    The Town has engaged residents and businesses to discuss transportation issues and ideas. In 2020, the Transportation Study public survey gathered Laker’s feedback on a variety of transportation topics. The 2022 Transportation Master Plan includes and uses the survey feedback (page 94 – 109).  We also discussed bike lanes during engagements for the 2018 Sustainable Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan. Despite bikeability being mentioned in the plan, Lakers ranked cycling infrastructure as the lowest priority (page 38). 

    3. Practical limitations: 

    In addition to Laker’s feedback, we considered other factors for Centennial Street. Space is very limited in our downtown core. Two-way foot and vehicle traffic is needed to maintain flow and reduce bottlenecks downtown. Parking is crucial for businesses on Centennial Street. We could not make room for bike lanes because we'd have to remove: 

    • Parking stalls 
    • Sidewalk space 
    • Traffic-calming, safety, and accessibility features 



    What about bikes? 

    You are correct! Accessing downtown on bikes can be challenging. We recognize those challenges, and we are: 

    • Increasing safety on Centennial Street by lowering speed limits to 30 km/h 
    • Beginning to review and plan to improve other bike routes into downtown 


    We appreciate your thoughtful and well-informed question. Thanks for taking time out of your day to read the SWARP document, and to think about making our community better. Please stay tuned to engage.sylvanlake.ca for updates. We look forward to hearing from you in the future! 

    Sincerely,
    Eric Boudreau, Project Manager
    Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Engineering Department 

  • Share Without all the information its difficult to make informed decisions. Was there an assessment done on the infrastructure that needs replaced? Visual inspection? X-ray? Other than its 40 years old. Sewer systems are designed for 100 year life span. The residents that i have talked to don't want these tax increases from capital expenditures. It also says that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by our fees on the town bill so why is it coming out of general funds? And why does it take so long to complete. Thankyou for your time. on Facebook Share Without all the information its difficult to make informed decisions. Was there an assessment done on the infrastructure that needs replaced? Visual inspection? X-ray? Other than its 40 years old. Sewer systems are designed for 100 year life span. The residents that i have talked to don't want these tax increases from capital expenditures. It also says that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by our fees on the town bill so why is it coming out of general funds? And why does it take so long to complete. Thankyou for your time. on Twitter Share Without all the information its difficult to make informed decisions. Was there an assessment done on the infrastructure that needs replaced? Visual inspection? X-ray? Other than its 40 years old. Sewer systems are designed for 100 year life span. The residents that i have talked to don't want these tax increases from capital expenditures. It also says that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by our fees on the town bill so why is it coming out of general funds? And why does it take so long to complete. Thankyou for your time. on Linkedin Email Without all the information its difficult to make informed decisions. Was there an assessment done on the infrastructure that needs replaced? Visual inspection? X-ray? Other than its 40 years old. Sewer systems are designed for 100 year life span. The residents that i have talked to don't want these tax increases from capital expenditures. It also says that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by our fees on the town bill so why is it coming out of general funds? And why does it take so long to complete. Thankyou for your time. link

    Without all the information its difficult to make informed decisions. Was there an assessment done on the infrastructure that needs replaced? Visual inspection? X-ray? Other than its 40 years old. Sewer systems are designed for 100 year life span. The residents that i have talked to don't want these tax increases from capital expenditures. It also says that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by our fees on the town bill so why is it coming out of general funds? And why does it take so long to complete. Thankyou for your time.

    Joe asked 10 months ago

    Hi Joe, 

    Thanks for taking the time to ask these great questions.  

    How do we know when to replace? 

    • Some of the ways we tell if a construction project needs to be completed soon are if: 
    • The area is a safety hazard for pedestrians and/or drivers 
    • There is a risk of further damage and increased costs. For example, emergency road repairs always cost more than planned, coordinated projects 
    • The current state of the area has a negative impact on businesses 
    • The area limits accessibility. For example, is it difficult or impassable for wheelchair users  

    The Centennial Street area failed all of the above checks. 


    How is the project funded? 

    It is true that sewer and water infrastructure is paid for by utility bills. These primarily cover operating costs. We plan to set aside a portion of the annual utilities budget for spending on capital projects. No tax dollars are spent on utility capital projects. Utility capital projects are funded by utility rates, developer contributions via offsite levies, provincial and federal grants, and debt.  


    Why do construction projects take so long? 

    Construction projects do seem to take a long time. This project joins with 50 Avenue Redevelopment, which started in 2019 at Lakeshore Drive. Some projects, like 50 Avenue, are just large and can’t be done quickly.  Behind the scenes, more is happening than the general public knows: 

    We must plan for and install underground utilities like water, sewer, and wastewater. Sometimes it can be deceiving when other projects get completed quickly. Paving and surface projects take much less time than replacing or repairing underground services. When passing by, these two types of projects can appear very similar. We encourage all Lakers to ask questions here  

    • Coordinate work with Atco, Fortis, Telus, Shaw, and sometimes Transportation Canada and CN Rail 
    • Coordinate work with contractors hired to complete a project 
    • Work around and with adjacent homeowners and businesses 
    • Typically, the more complex the work, and the more changes/upgrades/repairs are being made, the longer the project will take  


    After all those factors are accounted for, here are more reasons why construction never exactly follows a schedule: 

    • Weather is the boss of construction. If we have bad weather, we must delay projects 
    • Construction supplies sometimes arrive on time, sometimes they arrive late. For example, if concrete supplies for sidewalks are delivered late, we can't start the construction 
    • Sometimes we find surprises in the ground. We make every effort to survey before breaking ground, but sometimes we find underground utilities like gas lines that are in unexpected places. This forces us to create a new plan, which can cause a time delay. For example, last fall we found that previous construction had dumped excess concrete and buried it. This had encased important utilities, including water mains and fire hydrant lines. This took extra time to remove so we didn’t damage the water lines.  Our contractor had to bring in specialized equipment for the work, such as couplers, jacks, and specialized concrete removal tools because the work was so delicate  



    • There are more surprises that can happen too! We plan things down to the last detail, but plans are never 100% perfect, 100% of the time 

     

    Thank you for making the effort to learn about this project. When Lakers take a bit of time to ask questions and understand project timelines and goals, construction schedules will make more sense. Lakers will also be able to provide better feedback on the annual resident priority setting survey (part of budget engagement every year). Feel free to ask another question! 

    Sincerely, 
    Eric Boudreau, Project Manager 
    Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Engineering Department 

  • Share Will Sylvan council take into account the mass amount of negative feed back on this topic. Might be time to listen! on Facebook Share Will Sylvan council take into account the mass amount of negative feed back on this topic. Might be time to listen! on Twitter Share Will Sylvan council take into account the mass amount of negative feed back on this topic. Might be time to listen! on Linkedin Email Will Sylvan council take into account the mass amount of negative feed back on this topic. Might be time to listen! link

    Will Sylvan council take into account the mass amount of negative feed back on this topic. Might be time to listen!

    Meghan25 asked 10 months ago

    Hi Meghan, 

    Thank you for sharing your feedback. I can agree that this is an unpopular project, but if we do not proactively do the work that is needed it would be setting us up for much more costly unexpected repairs down the road. The street and sidewalk have both long outlived their life expectancy. They are around 40 years old. We typically expect to replace them around the 25-year mark. We are continually listening to Laker’s feedback and questions. Based on what we hear, we do our best to limit the disruption to both businesses and residents.  

      

    This has been a long process! We’ve been taking feedback and planning for ten years. We used the feedback and adjusted the timeline and plan throughout. This made sure that when the time finally came to proceed in 2027, no one would be caught by surprise.  

      

    The feedback process has included: 

    • Nov 18, 2014: Open House 

    • Jan 29, 2015: Open House 

    • Feb 10, 2015: Council report including public engagement (page 40) 

    • 2018: Public engagements as part of the Sustainable Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan. See page 12 for a timeline of public engagements, including a community design workshop, survey, pop-up sessions, and a public meeting. See page 33 for detailed engagement results 

    • 2020: Transportation study public survey

    • 2022: The 2022 Transportation Master Plan engaged Lakers on a variety of topics. Page 94 – 109 outlines the Online Public Survey Results Summary from December 2020. 1  

    • Fall 2022: Town spoke at the Waterfront Commercial District Committee (now called the Tourism Development Committee). The Town spoke about construction timelines, the 50 Avenue project, and gave notice of future rehabilitation of the 50 Avenue and Centennial Street intersection 

    • September 2023: Giving ample notice of construction timelines. Project Manager connected with local businesses. We hand-delivered information and spoke with business managers. Information and discussions were about the 50 Ave/Centennial (50) Street intersection improvements 

    • 2023 fall / 2024 winter: Ongoing conversations between town staff and businesses. The Town created the project page 

    • 2024 and on: We are posting upcoming feedback opportunities to engage.sylvanlake.ca. Please register and subscribe 

     

    I understand that in the past, much of this process has happened behind the scenes. That’s why we built engage.sylvanlake.ca. We are working hard to tell Lakers more about projects, and how we used their feedback. Your questions here are important. They help us understand what Lakers need to know so we can include better information on the project pages. 

    Thanks again for taking time out of your day to connect with us. We look forward to connecting with you again in the future. 

    Sincerely,  

    Megan Hanson, Mayor  

  • Share Mentioned in previous comments that CN railroad tracks are going to be upgraded. Can you please describe the upgrade that CN Rail & or the City are planning to do. on Facebook Share Mentioned in previous comments that CN railroad tracks are going to be upgraded. Can you please describe the upgrade that CN Rail & or the City are planning to do. on Twitter Share Mentioned in previous comments that CN railroad tracks are going to be upgraded. Can you please describe the upgrade that CN Rail & or the City are planning to do. on Linkedin Email Mentioned in previous comments that CN railroad tracks are going to be upgraded. Can you please describe the upgrade that CN Rail & or the City are planning to do. link

    Mentioned in previous comments that CN railroad tracks are going to be upgraded. Can you please describe the upgrade that CN Rail & or the City are planning to do.

    RG asked 8 months ago

    Hi RG, 

    Thanks for reading and taking the time to ask a question! Here are the plans are so far: 

    • Putting traffic lights at 50 Avenue and Centennial Street. The lights will work together with the railway crossing warning system 

    • Improving street lighting  

    • Improving sightlines (helping drivers see other vehicles and pedestrians clearly) 

    • Adding a sidewalk that crosses over the tracks on the east side of Centennial Street 

    • Repairing the sidewalk that crosses over the tracks on the west side of Centennial Street 

     

    Let us know if you have any other questions. 

     

    Sincerely, 
    Eric Boudreau, Project Manager 
    Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Engineering Department 

     

  • Share Why is there no public transportation in Sylvan? on Facebook Share Why is there no public transportation in Sylvan? on Twitter Share Why is there no public transportation in Sylvan? on Linkedin Email Why is there no public transportation in Sylvan? link

    Why is there no public transportation in Sylvan?

    PR asked 10 months ago

    Hi PR! 

    This is a great question that other Lakers might be asking, but it’s not about the Centennial Street project. We don’t want Lakers to sift through unrelated material to find the project information they need.  

    We’ve posted your answer here. In the future, please ask questions that aren’t about projects in the contact us form. 

  • Share A town councillor came by into a local business "Natural Solutions Health Store", only one councillor, and they told the owner that there was NOT infrastructure underneath 50th at all, that it’s all for beautification. 1. Why beautify when no one will be left down there Sylvan Lake? 2. Is our council really prepared to go that direction, by disrespecting our community members, and the local business'? 3. Is this the type of government and council we deserve and want here in our Town? 4. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake hold an open dialogue, live and in person public engagement, held at a time in the evening that the majority of the public can attend. (i.e.: 6-9pm) and or on a weekend? 5. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake Cater to the people and be actual public service providers? on Facebook Share A town councillor came by into a local business "Natural Solutions Health Store", only one councillor, and they told the owner that there was NOT infrastructure underneath 50th at all, that it’s all for beautification. 1. Why beautify when no one will be left down there Sylvan Lake? 2. Is our council really prepared to go that direction, by disrespecting our community members, and the local business'? 3. Is this the type of government and council we deserve and want here in our Town? 4. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake hold an open dialogue, live and in person public engagement, held at a time in the evening that the majority of the public can attend. (i.e.: 6-9pm) and or on a weekend? 5. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake Cater to the people and be actual public service providers? on Twitter Share A town councillor came by into a local business "Natural Solutions Health Store", only one councillor, and they told the owner that there was NOT infrastructure underneath 50th at all, that it’s all for beautification. 1. Why beautify when no one will be left down there Sylvan Lake? 2. Is our council really prepared to go that direction, by disrespecting our community members, and the local business'? 3. Is this the type of government and council we deserve and want here in our Town? 4. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake hold an open dialogue, live and in person public engagement, held at a time in the evening that the majority of the public can attend. (i.e.: 6-9pm) and or on a weekend? 5. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake Cater to the people and be actual public service providers? on Linkedin Email A town councillor came by into a local business "Natural Solutions Health Store", only one councillor, and they told the owner that there was NOT infrastructure underneath 50th at all, that it’s all for beautification. 1. Why beautify when no one will be left down there Sylvan Lake? 2. Is our council really prepared to go that direction, by disrespecting our community members, and the local business'? 3. Is this the type of government and council we deserve and want here in our Town? 4. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake hold an open dialogue, live and in person public engagement, held at a time in the evening that the majority of the public can attend. (i.e.: 6-9pm) and or on a weekend? 5. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake Cater to the people and be actual public service providers? link

    A town councillor came by into a local business "Natural Solutions Health Store", only one councillor, and they told the owner that there was NOT infrastructure underneath 50th at all, that it’s all for beautification. 1. Why beautify when no one will be left down there Sylvan Lake? 2. Is our council really prepared to go that direction, by disrespecting our community members, and the local business'? 3. Is this the type of government and council we deserve and want here in our Town? 4. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake hold an open dialogue, live and in person public engagement, held at a time in the evening that the majority of the public can attend. (i.e.: 6-9pm) and or on a weekend? 5. Will the Town of Sylvan Lake Cater to the people and be actual public service providers?

    Mr.Resident asked 10 months ago

    Hello Mr. Resident, 

    Phase 2 (2027) is still in the planning stage, so public engagement sessions are not scheduled yet. We post engagement opportunities here, so please stay tuned.

    Please find the answers to your questions here: 

  • Share It is being speculated that are no underground services on 50th Street from 50th Ave to Lakeshore Drive at all. That it appears that all underground services are in the back alleys & the services were replaced in 2013 & 2017. Look at the interactive map that the town puts out. There is confusion as to what is going on for 50th Street. 1. Can you please outline, in detail, all of the services that are in the direct path of this proposing upgrade. 2. Please provide a detailed schematic of what services are where, along with their installation dates and maintenance reports since their original installation, as supporting documentation to the claim. on Facebook Share It is being speculated that are no underground services on 50th Street from 50th Ave to Lakeshore Drive at all. That it appears that all underground services are in the back alleys & the services were replaced in 2013 & 2017. Look at the interactive map that the town puts out. There is confusion as to what is going on for 50th Street. 1. Can you please outline, in detail, all of the services that are in the direct path of this proposing upgrade. 2. Please provide a detailed schematic of what services are where, along with their installation dates and maintenance reports since their original installation, as supporting documentation to the claim. on Twitter Share It is being speculated that are no underground services on 50th Street from 50th Ave to Lakeshore Drive at all. That it appears that all underground services are in the back alleys & the services were replaced in 2013 & 2017. Look at the interactive map that the town puts out. There is confusion as to what is going on for 50th Street. 1. Can you please outline, in detail, all of the services that are in the direct path of this proposing upgrade. 2. Please provide a detailed schematic of what services are where, along with their installation dates and maintenance reports since their original installation, as supporting documentation to the claim. on Linkedin Email It is being speculated that are no underground services on 50th Street from 50th Ave to Lakeshore Drive at all. That it appears that all underground services are in the back alleys & the services were replaced in 2013 & 2017. Look at the interactive map that the town puts out. There is confusion as to what is going on for 50th Street. 1. Can you please outline, in detail, all of the services that are in the direct path of this proposing upgrade. 2. Please provide a detailed schematic of what services are where, along with their installation dates and maintenance reports since their original installation, as supporting documentation to the claim. link

    It is being speculated that are no underground services on 50th Street from 50th Ave to Lakeshore Drive at all. That it appears that all underground services are in the back alleys & the services were replaced in 2013 & 2017. Look at the interactive map that the town puts out. There is confusion as to what is going on for 50th Street. 1. Can you please outline, in detail, all of the services that are in the direct path of this proposing upgrade. 2. Please provide a detailed schematic of what services are where, along with their installation dates and maintenance reports since their original installation, as supporting documentation to the claim.

    Mr.Resident asked 10 months ago

    Hello Mr. Resident, 

    Thanks for the question! Thanks for fact-checking speculation by reaching out to us. Although we often can’t reply instantly, we are always happy to show you where information is online or provide further details. 

    Schematics 

    Our infrastructure map has been online since 2020. You can find a link to the map on our maps page (Go to sylvanlake.ca > Click Public Services > Click Maps > Click Infrastructure Map). This map does not show infrastructure installed and maintained by other companies like Fortis. You can use the legend to show and hide all the infrastructure that the Town maintains, including:  

    • Water System 

    • Sanitary System 

    • Storm System


    Centennial Street’s Underground infrastructure  

    It is correct that water, sewer and wastewater lines are not under the whole of Centennial Street, from Lakeshore Drive to 50 Avenue. But as you can see on the map, there are two crossings. These require upgrades. One at 50A Avenue (completed in 2017), and one at 50 Avenue, (completed in 2023). The surrounding area already has upgrades to water, sewer and wastewater lines, including: 

    • 2015: Lakeshore Drive  

    • 2017: Cobbs Block alley and 50A Street 

    • 2023: 50 Avenue from Lakeshore Drive to the alley at Sylvan Lake Auto 

    Stormwater is a significant part of the underground infrastructure that needs repair throughout Centennial Street. Currently, stormwater flows through open channels and over sidewalk surfaces, creating safety hazards. The existing stormwater system doesn’t move the water away from our downtown buildings. This causes many problems, including: 

    • Over 40 years of freeze-thaw cycles have damaged sidewalks and roads 

    • Creating underground erosion which can lead to sinkholes under the road and sidewalks 

    • Damage to buildings and foundations 

     

    We have plans for major upgrades to the stormwater system in Phase 2 and are still planning for 2027. Some of the upgrades include: 

    • Improved drainage and connection to the stormwater system 

    • Soil cells: these harvest and direct stormwater underground. We are excited to announce that soil cells have many environmental, safety, and esthetic benefits. We are currently in the planning stages and will release detailed information as it becomes available. But feel free to check out how soil/silva cells worked in Banff 

     

    Centennial Street also has shallow underground infrastructure (Coordinating upgrades to reduce taxpayer burden) 

    Completing modernization involves other companies providing services to Lakers, such as Atco, Telus, and Fortis. Utility companies have voiced their concerns and need to replace aging and damaged infrastructure. Starting in 2023, we have been coordinating with these partners to complete this work in the smallest window possible. It’s most cost-efficient and faster to do all this work at once. 

     

    Planned break for 2025 and 2026 

    Please note that Phase 2 is still in the design phase. We’ll provide more details, dates, and plans. Please subscribe and visit this web page to make sure you don’t miss out on project updates or engagement opportunities. 

     

    Sincerely, 

    Eric Boudreau, Project Manager 

    Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Engineering Department


  • Share Since the Town is attempting to silence public discussions on social media, and they are limiting Q&A's to be submitted though this online channel, my question is since these Q&A's are public concerns, submitted to the town, by the public, on public matters, will ALL of the Q&A's submitted be made public to everyone to see what has been asked, and what the Towns answers are? on Facebook Share Since the Town is attempting to silence public discussions on social media, and they are limiting Q&A's to be submitted though this online channel, my question is since these Q&A's are public concerns, submitted to the town, by the public, on public matters, will ALL of the Q&A's submitted be made public to everyone to see what has been asked, and what the Towns answers are? on Twitter Share Since the Town is attempting to silence public discussions on social media, and they are limiting Q&A's to be submitted though this online channel, my question is since these Q&A's are public concerns, submitted to the town, by the public, on public matters, will ALL of the Q&A's submitted be made public to everyone to see what has been asked, and what the Towns answers are? on Linkedin Email Since the Town is attempting to silence public discussions on social media, and they are limiting Q&A's to be submitted though this online channel, my question is since these Q&A's are public concerns, submitted to the town, by the public, on public matters, will ALL of the Q&A's submitted be made public to everyone to see what has been asked, and what the Towns answers are? link

    Since the Town is attempting to silence public discussions on social media, and they are limiting Q&A's to be submitted though this online channel, my question is since these Q&A's are public concerns, submitted to the town, by the public, on public matters, will ALL of the Q&A's submitted be made public to everyone to see what has been asked, and what the Towns answers are?

    Mr.Resident asked 10 months ago

    Hi Mr. Resident, 

    It’s not possible for the Town to silence public social media discussions because group and personal pages are not in our control.  

    We do oversee Town social media pages. We have a responsibility to ensure that accurate information is shared through the Town’s media, such as: 

    • Facebook 

    • Sylvanlake.ca 

    • Engage.sylvanlake.ca  

     

    Staying kind and constructive 

    Since April 7, 2008, we have welcomed civil conversation and constructive criticism on our Facebook page. To ensure that the page remains accurate and constructive: 

    1. If conversations take an unproductive turn (misinformation, bullying, etc.) or become uncivil, we may turn off comments. Any existing comments remain permanently visible to the public 

    1. Comments with racist, violent, or hate speech content may result in a permanent ban from all Town social media feeds up to and including RCMP action 

     

    Why engage.sylvanlake.ca? 

    We launched engage.sylvanlake.ca on May 18, 2023. Since then, we’ve been publicly answering Laker’s questions in project ask & answered sections. For specific project questions, we ask that Lakers use the ask & answered sections. This helps us to: 

    • Make sure that your request in its original form is published alongside our answer 

    • Let other Lakers with the same question benefit from the answer 

    • Work efficiently to answer a question once, in one place 

    • Create an inclusive space where everyone can see the information. Some Lakers don’t use social media 

    • Create a safe space. Engage is moderated by a neutral third party 

    • Answer specific project questions without other distracting information 

    • If a Laker asks a question that reveals personal information, we usually reply privately. This is because we cannot alter questions once they are submitted. This is how our 3rd party software works to keep both Lakers and the Town accountable 

     

    How to stay kind and constructive 

    Informed questions and civil conversations create healthier communities. We are working to share an increasing amount of information, and in return we ask that Lakers: 

    1. Be kind: Staff are Lakers and ordinary people just like you. Every day we do our best to serve the community. Nobody deserves to be harassed, bullied, abused, accused unfairly, or treated rudely. That includes Lakers, Town staff, and Council 

    1. Be respectful of time: Detailed responses can take time to write. Some responses can pull information from multiple departments, staff, and Council. Staff have competing priorities and deadlines to juggle. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated when we can’t answer instantly 

    1. Be informed: Do what you can to learn about your question topic before asking a question. If you don’t know where something might be, we are always happy to point you in the right direction to find information 

    1. Understand limits: The Town works within limitations, rules, and budgets. Some are laws, like the Municipal Government Act. Some are federal regulations like Transportation Canada rail crossing rules. Repeated questioning can’t change the rules the Town must follow 

    1. Timing: Planning and public engagement happens years in advance. Stay connected with opportunities to share feedback so we can consider it while planning is crucial 

     

    Finding Information 

    Finding and understanding information from the Town can be tough. We are working to improve that by: 

    • Writing in plain language so that our information is easier to understand 

    • Working to communicate more information about our programs and projects  

     

    We hope this has answered your question, but if you have any questions about the Centennial Street project ask them here. If you have questions about something else, please ask here.   

    Thank you for taking the time to engage with us! 

  • Share I have personally spoken to many business owners and the consensus is the same. Majority is against this, right now. My question is here, who has the Town of Sylvan Lake spoken too, and what was the results of the consultation with all the local businesses that will be directly affected by this construction? I assume you actually consulted these businesses? on Facebook Share I have personally spoken to many business owners and the consensus is the same. Majority is against this, right now. My question is here, who has the Town of Sylvan Lake spoken too, and what was the results of the consultation with all the local businesses that will be directly affected by this construction? I assume you actually consulted these businesses? on Twitter Share I have personally spoken to many business owners and the consensus is the same. Majority is against this, right now. My question is here, who has the Town of Sylvan Lake spoken too, and what was the results of the consultation with all the local businesses that will be directly affected by this construction? I assume you actually consulted these businesses? on Linkedin Email I have personally spoken to many business owners and the consensus is the same. Majority is against this, right now. My question is here, who has the Town of Sylvan Lake spoken too, and what was the results of the consultation with all the local businesses that will be directly affected by this construction? I assume you actually consulted these businesses? link

    I have personally spoken to many business owners and the consensus is the same. Majority is against this, right now. My question is here, who has the Town of Sylvan Lake spoken too, and what was the results of the consultation with all the local businesses that will be directly affected by this construction? I assume you actually consulted these businesses?

    Mr.Resident asked 10 months ago

    Hello Mr. Resident, 

    Please find the answers to your questions here: 

  • Share There has been an extreme amount of construction & disruptions throughout our Downtown area over the past few years as it is. This has caused extensive and irreversible damage to our local businesses, and subsequently to many resident and their families. There has been much discussion about this and the consensus already leans towards the realization that this is NOT in the best interest of our town or its people, at this time. Can the Town please comment on this question, and provide factual details & proof of such, that would show the majority is in support of this? on Facebook Share There has been an extreme amount of construction & disruptions throughout our Downtown area over the past few years as it is. This has caused extensive and irreversible damage to our local businesses, and subsequently to many resident and their families. There has been much discussion about this and the consensus already leans towards the realization that this is NOT in the best interest of our town or its people, at this time. Can the Town please comment on this question, and provide factual details & proof of such, that would show the majority is in support of this? on Twitter Share There has been an extreme amount of construction & disruptions throughout our Downtown area over the past few years as it is. This has caused extensive and irreversible damage to our local businesses, and subsequently to many resident and their families. There has been much discussion about this and the consensus already leans towards the realization that this is NOT in the best interest of our town or its people, at this time. Can the Town please comment on this question, and provide factual details & proof of such, that would show the majority is in support of this? on Linkedin Email There has been an extreme amount of construction & disruptions throughout our Downtown area over the past few years as it is. This has caused extensive and irreversible damage to our local businesses, and subsequently to many resident and their families. There has been much discussion about this and the consensus already leans towards the realization that this is NOT in the best interest of our town or its people, at this time. Can the Town please comment on this question, and provide factual details & proof of such, that would show the majority is in support of this? link

    There has been an extreme amount of construction & disruptions throughout our Downtown area over the past few years as it is. This has caused extensive and irreversible damage to our local businesses, and subsequently to many resident and their families. There has been much discussion about this and the consensus already leans towards the realization that this is NOT in the best interest of our town or its people, at this time. Can the Town please comment on this question, and provide factual details & proof of such, that would show the majority is in support of this?

    Mr.Resident asked 10 months ago

    Hello Mr. Resident, 

    A two-year break in downtown construction is planned to minimize impact on the downtown businesses. The break is shown under key dates, published with this project page on February 13, 2024. This allows a few years to help businesses to recover from previous construction. 2024 Phase 1 construction is limited to finishing the Centennial Street and 50 Avenue intersection. View the project news post Help for Downtown During Construction to view some of the other ways we are limiting impacts on businesses this year. Failing to proactively complete the work soon would set us up for more costly unexpected repairs down the road.  

     

    Finding timeline information 

    We know how important timeline information is to Lakers. They want to know dates and details before giving feedback to the Town. That’s why every project on engage.sylvanlake.ca has a key dates section. There you’ll find project timelines and rough outlines of what happens in each project phase.    

     

    Finding project news information 

    Each project’s news section shares important project updates like budget and progress reports.  

     

    Questions 

    • We hope this answered your question, but if you have more questions about the Centennial Street project submit another question here 

    • This system does not have conversation style chains so you must submit another question 

    • If you have questions about something else, please ask here 

     

    Thank you for taking the time to talk with us!