Letter: What’s so special about Stonegate Drive?

What makes one street more important than another?

In the last week, residents living on Soloy Drive, near Adanac Ski Hill, have seen an increase in traffic on its roadway. That’s thanks to residents on the neighbouring Stonegate Drive who have petitioned for a one-way sign to be erected on their street as a means to calm traffic. 

This happened once before and failed miserably. People began ignoring the signs and purposely driving down Stonegate upset over increased traffic on the neighbouring streets.

It begs the question – what makes one street more important than one right beside it?

I recently spoke to the very councillor who helped the Stonegate residents get their wish. Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said that no one has a right to use Stonegate if they don’t live there. Doesn’t that same rule apply to the other streets in the area and in the entire city? What makes one street so special?

Leduc insists he had the support, based on letters he sent to people in the area. I have cousins on Manchester, parents on Soloy and friends on Beatrice and Attlee. No one received a letter, yet Stonegate residents received three letters. 

That is preaching to the converted and not telling the full story to everyone in the area. Purposely choosing a very small sample size will always get you what you want.

The councillor also informed my cousin in writing that people using Google Maps will be directed to take Beatrice and not Soloy Drive. This comment is absurd because anyone who uses Adanac Ski Hill or attends Northern Ontario Film Studios located at the old Barrydowne Arena don’t use Google Maps for location information when they already know where they are going. And again, what makes Stonegate so special? Does Bill have friends there? Why does he want the traffic rerouted to neighbouring streets?

It is a good thing that an election is just around the corner. It is time for residents to decide – especially the residents in Ward 11.

Jean Kozelko***
Sudbury

***The incorrect name was originally on this letter. This has now been corrected.