Cornwall bypass and Main Street project top of mind ahead of election

When it comes to talk at the local coffee shop, Cornwall’s new Main Street project continues to come up as one of the bigger municipal issues facing the town.

The P.E.I. government is in the process of constructing a new $65-million highway that will bypass the town.

The Guardian went to the community this week to ask people what they were thinking about ahead of the Nov. 5 municipal election.

Marie Kelly thinks the money would have been better spent on health or education.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with the roads we had,’’ Kelly said, sipping on her coffee. “I worked in Charlottetown for 23 years and I drove back and forth 20 kilometres and was never held up too long.’’ “Spending all that money on the bypass and seniors are getting nothing. That’s my opinion,’’ said Kelly’s friend, Estelle Costello.

“I think it’s going to really affect Cornwall because traffic won’t be coming through here (anymore),’’ Marjorie Ferguson said after picking up a few groceries in Cornwall. “It probably will make (Main Street) safer . . . but people are going to be affected, it will affect businesses.’’

Businesses in Cornwall are a bit more optimistic.

“As for myself, I’m for it, for sure,’’ said Doug Somers, grocery manager at the Independent Grocer. “It will be good for the community.

Fadi Rashed, who owns Sam’s Restaurant at the corner of Centennial Drive and the Trans-Canada Highway, said he expects a drop in business when the new highway initially opens.

“I’m projecting there will be a slight decline in the summer. It will absolutely affect business, 100 per cent,’’ Rashed said. “(But) if the population increases the way they project it is going to, then obviously that will make up for it in the long term. The community has been very good (to us) and it sustains me year-round. All in all, I think we’re going to be fine.’’

It’s a subject the two mayoral candidates have given a lot of thought to. Graham Hicken, who is trying to unseat Minerva McCourt, said he envisions a new Main Street with affordable housing, restaurants, cafes and little mom-and-pop shops.

“One of the big things I’ve been pushing is sidewalks on both sides of the street (to) take down the speed of the traffic,’’ Hicken said, adding that he would also like to see buildings built closer to the road to enable more parking in the rear.

Hicken said the new highway will make the town much safer by keeping the large heavy trucks on the bypass and off Main Street. He would also like to see more signage on the highway coming into town, giving people a reason to drive in and not drive by.

Hicken said there should also be benches and little ponds for seniors’ enjoyment and walking trails that connect.

McCourt said she and her opponent don’t differ on many issues facing the town.

She sees a town with a marketplace, a rink, a skateboard park, an outdoor cenotaph area, cafés, slow-moving traffic and plenty of parks.

“As it stands now, we have between 24,000 and 30,000 vehicles passing through this town every day, so the bypass will help eliminate the heavy trucks. It’s the most major thing right now in the town,’’ McCourt said.

“It will be a much safer town. Main Street will be the hub, a centre for the town.’’