A local cemetery board is calling for city action to reduce the risk of property damage at St. Andrew’s – St. James’ Cemetery.
In a letter to the city, cemetery board chair N.G. Kee said there have been “numerous occasions” where the cemetery’s chain link fence along Westmount Street North has sustained damage.
“We have had to bear the cost of fence repairs as our insurance deductible is such that it is not in our best economic interest to put it through insurance, and for some reason trying to get the cost covered through the insurance of the errant drivers has not been possible,” Kee wrote in his plea to the city.
The board has requested the city install a barrier in the area, where the road bends northward and parallels Highway 11, for fear of possible damage to headstones in the cemetery.
“It is our concern that one of these accidents is going to result in major damage to headstones that are the property of the families of the loved ones interred there,” Kee wrote. “Needless to say, these headstones are very expensive to replace, as well as the emotional trauma that would result from such an incident.”
In his response, Mayor Don McIsaac said the city reviewed collisions records along Westmount Drive, finding a total of two collisions over the previous five years near the cemetery property.
McIsaac said city staff completed an investigation into the feasibility and engineering warrants for a roadside barrier in the area, and noted that a variety of factors — including driver fatigue, excessive speed, driving under the influence, collision avoidance, and others — may cause a vehicle to leave the roadway.
“Regardless of the reason for a vehicle leaving the roadway, a roadside environment free of fixed objects and with stable, flattened slopes enhances the opportunity for motorists to regain control of their vehicles and reduce collision severity,” McIsaac wrote in his response.
The mayor also noted that traffic barriers should only be used under certain conditions, and he said “there are no engineering warrants to install a barrier at this location at this time.”
“Traffic barriers do not prevent collisions. They too are obstacles on the roadside and vehicles striking barriers can cause occupant injury and/or vehicle damage,” he wrote.
“A traffic barrier should be installed only if it is likely to reduce the severity of potential collisions," noted the mayor.
“If the consequences of a vehicle running off the road and striking a barrier are believed to be less serious than the consequences if no barrier existed, the barrier is considered warranted. In this situation the barrier would likely increase the severity of a collision.”
