The open house was held Wednesday at the Mel Hegland Uniplex. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

improvements

Revitalization plan calls for major changes to downtown La Ronge

Mar 16, 2023 | 2:33 PM

An open house was held Wednesday for members of the public to review a draft version of the La Ronge Downtown Revitalization Plan.

The plan calls for a number of changes along La Ronge Avenue including wider public walkways, improved lighting, street trees and other plants, locally designed and produced street furnishings, wayfinding signage and public art, pedestrian crossing, narrowed driving lanes and on-street parking.

Other ideas in the plan are a waterfront multi-use pathway with connections to Tremblay and McKenzie Streets, a waterfront project like a cultural or community centre, and a highway gateway enhancement with an entry sign, abundant lighting, and trees and vegetation.

“That concept is placemaking. Placemaking is a very important part for creating spaces where people want to be in,” revitalization committee vice-chairperson Abby Besharah said.

“They are spaces that they feel safe, they feel activated, they have opportunity for people to go hang out there passively, like passively recreate or actively recreate. So, creating a consistent vision for the downtown or even smaller neighbourhoods within the downtown, because it is a very long street and it will help to create a destination for people to go.”

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The plan was developed by consulting firm Scatliff + Miller + Murray in partnership with a local committee which includes Besharah, chairperson Sheldon Merriman, Coun. Viviana Ruiz Arcand, Tania Colbert, Deepan Dasgupta, Judy Hanke, Colin Jolly, Ty Roberts and Adam Kolberg.

Results from a recent survey were also presented at the open house. There were 225 respondents of which 61 per cent answered they visited downtown La Ronge between five to seven times per week. The majority also had a negative perception of downtown with 56 per cent answering negative and 21 per cent answering very negative.

“The perception that people responding to the survey have is very valid,” Besharah said.

“These people go downtown and they don’t feel safe. It might be a negative interaction with somebody downtown that may be coming out of the bar intoxicated. Maybe lighting isn’t sufficient enough. Maybe they feel the street is too empty, so nobody is there to see if anything is going to happen.”

With La Ronge council presented a final version of the Highway 102 Economic Corridor Plan on Tuesday, Besharah noted the La Ronge Downtown Revitalization Plan is meant to dovetail with it. She said there is a lot of crossover between the two and investments can me made to achieve similar goals in both plans.

The La Ronge Downtown Revitalization Plan costs an estimated $61,000 and should be finalized in about three weeks. The town’s 10-year capital plan calls for $2.5 million to be spent on downtown revitalization by the end of 2024.

Read the full draft La Ronge Downtown Revitalization Plan online here.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno