Beach detour brings tiny town big traffic woes
Residents in the tiny community of Crediton are hoping those on their way to and from Grand Bend will slow down when they pass through.
Thanks to a construction detour, the hamlet in the municipality of South Huron is dealing a problem they never thought they’d see -- heavy traffic and speedy drivers.
“Weekends are unbelieveable,” said resident Brenda Martene, who lives on the main street. “It’s just like bumper to bumper to bumper of vehicles.”
She has placed signs on her lawn to warn drivers of children playing. She’s hoping drivers abide by the posted 50 km/h speed limit before someone gets hurt.
The onslaught of sun-seekers coming from the east is known to start on Thursdays. It ends only after they have headed home on Sundays. Martene is especially dreading the upcoming long holiday weekend.
“When they’re coming from the city they tend not to realize that this town is a 50 kilometre. And so by the time they reach us they’re flying.”
Henry Schoelier doesn’t live in the community but he comes every week to watch his grandchildren.
“I like to keep the kids safe you know. I can’t figure out why they can’t find another route to detour this construction, but I guess this is the only way.”
The source of the concerns is a few kilometres to the north. Traffic on Highway 83, one of the main east-west routes to and from Grand Bend, is being detoured because of bridge construction.
South Huron Councillor Diane Faubert says Huron County has taken steps to improve safety, including an electronic sign to indicate driver speeds and extra police presence.
“The biggest fear would be a child getting hit by a car,” she said.
Faubert said she worries the measures taken may still not be enough. She said it’s up to drivers to do their part.
“If there’s a fatality here, the family of that fatality are never going to get over it. The driver will never get over it. And the community will never get over it.”
Bridge construction is expected to last into October. Faubert said she hopes those bound for the ‘Bend will slow down or find another way.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.