Grade 5 letter wows council

A Salmon Arm elementary school student’s letter to city council requesting a new pedestrian crossing light impressed city councillors at a recent meeting.

At the Oct. 28 Salmon Arm city council meeting, council received a letter in their correspondence package from a Grade 5 student at Bastion Elementary named Luka Mae Larson.

In the letter Larson said they walk to school every day and that some cars fail to stop at the crosswalk at 20/21 Street NE.

“I think it would be a good idea to put a crossing light there so that cars know pedestrians are waiting to cross,” said Larson in the letter.

Larson concluded the letter by thanking city council for their hard work in making the city safer.

The letter was a hit with council with Coun. Sylvia Lindgren calling it, “the best kind of letter we get here.”

Lindgren went on to praise how well written the letter was.

“This is a very well written letter with a very good introduction about who they are and what the problem is, a suggested solution, and an acknowledgement of the other hard work city staff and city council do,” she said.

She then asked if staff had any more information about the crossing and whether it would be a good letter to forward to the traffic and safety committee.

Coun. Kevin Flynn agreed the letter should be forwarded to the committee and pointed out the effectiveness of flashing pedestrian lights on Okanagan Avenue.

“I would suggest this is probably a very good location for one of the flashing lights that is started by a pedestrian because I think it needs it here and I will fully support it,” he said.

Robert Niewenhuizen, director of engineering and public works, informed council about a 2020 study done in partnership with ICBC that investigated the city’s crosswalks.

"This particular location was identified for a proposed rapid flashing beacon," he said.

Niewenhuizen went on to say his department is preparing a report for the BC Vision Zero road safety grant as well and this location is one that will likely be recommended to council for additional safety measures.

A motion to forward the letter to the traffic and safety committee for review was passed unanimously.