At its regular meeting on Feb. 23, Peace River town council discussed the allocation of funds to the Glenmary Sidewalk Project.
“The sidewalk is located along the same street as Glenmary School, where school bus traffic and parent drop-off and pick-up create significant vehicle volumes,” explains Mayor Shelly Shannon.
“Without a sidewalk, pedestrians, particularly students and families, are forced to walk along the roadway, which can be uneven and icy, especially in winter. This creates a real safety risk and addressing that risk has become a priority.”
The sidewalk is between 98 St. and 89 Ave. and would (if it existed) connect Glenmary and T.A. Norris to the sidewalk that runs along 98 St. The project in question was identified as a top priority item in the Active Transportation Plan.
Estimated budget, based on past concrete work, is approximately $250,000, of which $125,000 was to be funded from the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF). The second half of the project was going to be funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities grant that administration applied for in late 2025.
“Public safety is a core priority for council,” says Shannon. “Across the community, we are identifying and addressing infrastructure gaps like this. Many older developments were not required to include sidewalks when they were built, but bringing these areas up to current standards helps make our community safer and accessible, and more walkable for everyone.”
As discovered at its meeting, council was informed that the Town’s application for the remaining $125,000 was not approved. In order for the project to proceed, council was asked to decide whether or not to allocated alternate funds to cover the remaining $125,000 of the project.
“The proximity to a school was a significant deciding factor,” Shannon notes.
“With a high volume of students and pedestrian activity in the immediate area, this is fundamentally a safety issue. Council felt that protecting students and families was too important to delay any longer.”
Shannon adds the area is a high-activity corridor with heavy vehicle traffic and increased pedestrian use, particularly during school hours. She says the new sidewalk will provide a safe, dedicated pathway for pedestrians, improve traffic flow, and help ensure everyone can move through the area more safely during peak times.
“This is a very important project, I don’t think you can put a price on kids’ safety, especially a student,” said Councillor Orren Ford during the regular meeting.
“I would be prepared to put a motion on the floor that council direct administration to use the unallocated LGF funds in the 2026 capital budget that were to be carried forward into 2027 to fund the $125,000 shortfall of the sidewalk project by Glenmary school.”
The motion to proceed with the allocation of funds was carried unanimously.
“Administration is currently preparing the request for proposals and completing the project design,” explains Shannon.
“Construction is expected to begin in early spring, subject to procurement and weather conditions.”
Emily Plihal
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