INCOMING DRUG DEALERS WILL THANK US FOR THE ROAD

I am bitterly disappointed that the road has been approved.

I shake my head in disbelief that St. Albert's most quiet and tranquil
place will soon be lost forever. All your worries can disappear by
strolling down the path to the BLESS platform and just listening to
the silence, interrupted by nature.

I have lived in St. Albert since immigrating here 22 years ago. I have
watched it grow, with some concern I have to admit. When I first came
here I was so impressed with this city, where everybody was so
friendly, where generations had grown up and the individual
neighbourhoods cared about the citizens and the city. Sad to say, what
we have now is extremely large houses, small yards, parks where
underage drinking occurs at midnight or the wee hours of the morning
(parents, shouldn't your children be in bed at that time?) and three,
yes three, gun incidents in as many days, presumably related to drug
deals or gangs.

What is St. Albert becoming? It is well known that drug dealers are
leaving the big cities and coming out to smaller communities, because
they don't think they will get caught. My children have now graduated
and do not attend schools in St. Albert, but I would be scared for
your children. Who knows who is hanging around the schoolyards
nowadays? I am getting to the stage where even I don't want to be out
on the streets after dark, let alone my children, even in a car. I
respect the RCMP for the work they do, but really, why is the city not
paying for more officers as the city expands to unmanageable levels.

And that is another reason I am shaking my head. All council seems to
be concerned with is getting re-elected and how many millions of
taxpayers' dollars we spend on a road that initially will end up on
137th Ave. in the middle of nowhere (when is Anthony Henday going to
be extended so the road actually goes somewhere) and a leisure
complex, which should take priority over a road if we are truly a
family oriented city. What is happening to the basic infrastructure of
the city? The traffic jams occur getting onto the trail because lights
at Hebert and Gervais allow left hand turns on green lights. Once you
get on the trail it is plain sailing. If the city insists on growing,
traffic jams are a way of life.

Let's get back to what this city has meant for generations, for over a
100 years -- family, neighbours, caring about each other, not how fast
we can get from one end to the other. I would imagine the drug dealers
will thank you though, the road will give them quick access now to the
north of the city and before you know it they will be gone, and leave
the drug dependent children in their wake.

It's a depressing thought isn't it?

Pam Green

St. Albert