05/20/2026
Here is the recap:
TRAFFIC SAFETY: THE HARBOURSIDE APARTMENT DRIVEWAY INTERFACE WITH THE SANDY POINT RD. We have communicated the concern as it relates to traffic safety, and the interface of the Harbourside Landing driveway with the Sandy Point Rd, the visibility issues, the blind spot on this particular hill, the traffic that flows from the shipyard, the aspect of the driving public that speed recklessly along this road. My communication occurred through Central Dispatch today, they do have a new number 1-844-696-7737, their email remains the same @ [email protected]. This resource is available to all citizens of Nova Scotia. We are eyes on the ground in partnership with the province. Despite any challenges that present, it is critical to be respectful in our communications to our service providers, whether that be federal, provincial or municipal government providers. Thank you.
GRADING THE LAKE RD: There must be an appreciation of the workflow on the Public Works side. They will wait till the roads dry up sufficiently in order to do the requisite grading. I don't have the number of kilometres that Public Works faces yearly; however, it is significant but Lake Road will be on the PROVINCE and our local public work's radar screen. To reiterate calcium chloride is a critical and expensive resource where the province prioritizes road construction first and ITS need for calcium chloride for both construction and dust control for existing gravel roads. Secondly, there will be calcium chloride applications to gravel roads, dependent on supply after a second grading. This is my understanding based on my experience of serving for six years as Councillor in this area.
PAVING: The 2026 four km of paving of the Sandy Point Rd. The process of tendering these paving projects occurs within a structured PROVINCIAL schedule. I have communicated the ask, THAT in addition to the paving that will be forthcoming - that portion of the SANDY POINT road that CURRENTLY will not be included this year but has been an issue now for a number of years, is the road surface on the SANDY POINT Road adjacent to HEMEON LANE. I AM ASKING TO INCLUDE THE REVERSE SPEED BUMP ADJACENT TO HEMEON LANE IN THE 2026 PAVING PROJECT. There is a significant depression on the width of the Sandy Point Road, I like to call it the reverse speed bump. There is no signage that indicates the depth of this depressio. I am asking that our MLA, NOLAN YOUNG advance the request, that aside from the SCHEDULED 4 km of paving, that the paving crew address and repave the significant depression at Hemeon Lane on THE SANDY POINT ROAD SURFACE. THIS DEPRESSION has occurred, subsequent to the intervention of a larger culvert placement to address flooding in this local area, prior to 2020. THE EXISTING DEPRESSION IN THE WIDTH OF THE ROAD IS SIGNIFICANT AND REQUIRES REDRESS.
OUR SOCIAL LANDSCAPE: The social landscape changes overtime and the physical landscape adapts continually from a public traffic safety perspective. The issue at the Lighthouse Recreation Park, where a new business, Captain Mike's Takeout exists, understanding that the Lighthouse Recreation group is increasing it's social recreation opportunities, in order to increase its public engagement and the need for the significant LIGHTHOUSE RESTORATION WORK has increased traffic flows locally. We are all concerned about the interface of our dynamic social construct and physical infrastructure of our road network. The executive of the Sandy Point Lighthouse recreation centre is embarking upon an important Lighthouse restoration and ALL OF THIS resulting public engagement and recreation opportunities, increases traffic pressures on a hill with limited visibility and a cohort of reckless driving. The province has responded with a monitoring device for traffic flows.
There is a traffic surveillance monitor, currently at Captain Mike's Takeout to assess this increase in traffic usage. The province is aware AND data is being collected. This is what we know at this point. It's important to understand that these monitor devices are operating on behalf of public safety, understanding that our social dynamic changes over time, our community is ever changing and is a dynamic process.
AS COUNCILLOR: I will do my best to continue to update the public. SOME OF THIS PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE OCCURS BEHIND THE SCENES AND SO THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE THAT THESE DYNAMICS ARE BEING ADDRESSED, our voices have been heard.
In terms of public safety and road traffic, I will add that it is requisite upon all of us as community citizens, to drive SAFELY and to drive to the speed conditions. THERE IS ONE FACTOR THAT WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED and that is the deer population. The deer do not know our social dynamic, SO we must also keep them in mind, as we DRIVE to arrive ALIVE.
Enforcement of traffic (policing) is an entirely different matter and is being addressed separately.
PLEASE DRIVE ACCORDINGLY.
PICTURES: I’d like to place a note here about pictures. Pictures are used to engage people. It catches their attention and hopefully the written message does, as well. Every single picture that I posted here is from the district of Sandy Point .2 photos - one on the road to the sailboat yard and one on the main road in Sandy Point are all within the district of Sandy Point.
What underlies all of this is the psychology of driving behaviour. Whether it is stunting on the road, a main road or a side road, bypassing traffic on the hill at the Lighthouse to get around traffic that’s turning into the Lighthouse Park. 2 near-miss vehicle crashes occurred last year on the hill, a blind hill.
whether it’s the speed track and that is once you round the wooded area, the main road along Sandy point there are vehicles a portion of drivers who ignore speed signs and it is only the curve in the road after the lighthouse that slows vehicles down.
Some citizens feel uncomfortable to walk on the side of the roads; for some, they smell the pungent odour of ma*****na wafting from vehicles. There are people that used to walk their dogs along the side of the road and they no longer do this.
When you find 200 bottles within 2 km in the roadside ditches in Sandy point and 68% of those are alcohol related currently 72 bottles retrieved from the old salt plant Road with 71% of those as alcohol related bottles. As a citizen, you can draw your own conclusion.
All of this, whether it’s driving behaviors on our public roads or whether it’s litter (provincial jurisdiction) and dumping (municipal jurisdiction) into our roadside ditches, these are all crimes against the community. Littering or dumping is 100% preventable? Why would anyone choose to disrespect their community?
Enforcement is part of the solution with an already stretched policeman force, as citizen we need to take back control, this is within the realm of citizens to drive the post speed limits, to drive to the driving conditions, NOT to litter or dump garbage into our environment. All of these things is a matter of respect.
I will continue to advance citizen concerns to the RCMP.
