Peace River Museum Events: Pi Kennedy- A Métis Trapper & Mercy Flight Re-enactment

Pi Kennedy - A Métis Trapper
Local photographer, Stuart Barr, has collaborated with Libby Gunn of Fort Smith to produce a photography exhibit about another "life of Pi," in this case, Pi Kennedy, an 86-year-old trapper. The exhibit will run throughout February and March.

The opening gala (Thursday, February 5th, 6:30-8:00 PM) will feature an unedited documentary film and stories in conjunction with the regular storytelling event.

Wop May Mercy Flight Re-Enactment

We are awaiting the arrival of the Wop May Mercy Flight portion of the Spirit of Edmonton Project, honouring the 100th anniversary of aviation in Canada and Alberta and the 80th anniversary of the original mercy flight in 1929.

The date of arrival of the bi-plane in Peace River depends on weather and mechanical conditions and will be announced on the local radio station, via word of mouth and on the museum blog (http://peacerivermuseum.blogspot.com/).

The museum blog tells the story of the original flight and this article from the Edmonton Journal describes the whole project:

http://www.where.ca/edmonton/article_feature~listing_id~66.htm

Snow, Sidewalks & Goat Tracks

Walking around Peace River is a standard feature of my days because when I was elected to Council, I decided to walk to meetings whenever possible. So for two winters now, I've tromped through the snow and have become a lot more aware of which homes and businesses keep their sidewalks shovelled and which don't.

There is a house on my regular walking route that has been sale for two winters now and the sidewalks not cleaned. This results in what someone has called a "goat track," a narrow path that makes walking very challenging. If this was a side street where there is little pedestrian traffic, it would be less of an issue, but this is a major pedestrian route.

There is a large, empty building downtown where the owner has not made snow removal arrangements. A large store on 101st Street removes snow from one side, but not the other. More goat tracks.

It seems like time to look at a snow removal bylaw (it's surprising to me that the Town doesn't already have one). As the Complete Streets workshop I attended this winter reminded us, if people can't comfortably walk around town, it's going to be very difficult to get them out of their vehicles, whether for fitness or to reduce our carbon footprint.

A bylaw would need to be reasonable and manageable for residents and businesses (as well as for the Town itself). But with a bylaw, the Town could do more than just try to educate. Warnings could be issued to those who aren't clearing in a timely way and if the warning wasn't enough, then the Town could arrange for clearing and bill the owner. And we walkers would find winter life so much easier!