She’s not sure what’ll come of it but Joyce Munn has appeared before Duncan city council on the issue of street and sidewalk safety.
Fed up with the lack of accessibility within particular areas of the City of Duncan, the senior stepped up and gathered more than 200 signatures on a petition aimed at getting city officials to take action.
On Monday, July 17, she got her chance to present her documents.
“I think it went fairly well,” she said Tuesday morning. “You’re not allowed that much time and basically I just said that the petition and a my letter say it all and I just talked of my own personal limitations in terms of the nasty weather we had.”
Her particular problem is at Allenby Road and Government Streets where there is one ramp up onto the sidewalk that’s in the middle of a parking spot. If a car is parked there, those in wheelchairs and scooters and those pushing strollers have to go along the street instead.
“The mayor actually uses a cane and he could identify with what I was saying,” Munn noted.
She praised council and staff for taking the time to help her and hear her concerns.
Of particular note was her treatment by city engineer Lucas Pitts who she said went out of his way to help her.
“He came on a walkabout with me. We laughed through the whole thing and he was so supportive,” she said. “I think my feeling is that Lucas is very sincere and I realize in the council meeting how many issues they have regarding finances and how thinly it’s spent or available. I don’t expect a whole lot but it seemed fairly important that it be said. They heard me and it was respectful, so I was pleased with that.”
There was one wrinkle that could limit what council could do for Munn, however.
“A lot of the problems are clearly on Tribes land,” she explained. “My husband and I know Cal Swustus who is a councillor for Cowichan Tribes, and in the next few days we’re going to try to meet him for coffee to see if he could have any influence on the powers that be on how they spend money on roads and sidewalks.”
While she’s not sure what, if anything, will come of it, it’s the end of the road for Munn’s activism for now.
“I’m kind of glad that it’s over,” she said. “I’d like to get down to reading some books.”