Letter to the Editor

Roundabout

Two months in and the residents local to the roundabout construction have had our summers ruined, unable to go out onto our decks or into our yards due to the noise and dust of the heavy construction or even enjoy our homes due to heavy vibrations equal to earthquakes that cause dishes to rattle in the cupboards and us to vibrate in our chairs or beds and is causing damage to our home’s foundations, doors and windows. Unable to open windows because of dust but still finding heavy, dirty dust covering every possession within our homes, garages and yards. It’s impossible to keep up trying to remove the dust on a daily basis. We aren’t even able to BBQ or sit out on our patio due to the dust and constant noise from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or later. Our summer completely ruined and being forced to stay indoors. We had the town literally steal our properties for this project that looks like a concrete monster. It reminds me of a song from my youth written by Joni Mitchell where she sings: “They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”
Yup, the township is doing just that. As I look out my kitchen window now, as I do my dishes, I no longer see nature, can’t watch the blue jays in my tree or the chipmunks and squirrels. All I see is a concrete monster. I moved here for the nature and the beauty of being away from a major city and the concrete jungle only to have the mayor and council put one in front of my home! Removing part of my property, a tree and lawn to do it. Sioux Lookout and many of the agencies try to entice new employees here by promoting the natural beauty, the small town feeling… but what does this roundabout say the second you come into town?! Traffic confusion, concrete jungle. It’s just a mess and a glorified cover up to get watermains and sewage systems to a developer site that hasn’t even begun but will create even more problems for the same residents in the area of the roundabout and we can expect 4 to 5 more years of construction noise, vibrations, heavy equipment traffic as the new Hillcrest development starts. 
I think this roundabout was a poor decision. It looks awful, was not required for a township of just over 5500 people. The new developer is not bringing in new people, it’s simply relocating an existing agency to one location rather than multiple sites. So, there will not be more traffic that needs traffic control. 
The roundabout was built as a guide to get watermains and sewage to the Hillcrest developers site at the taxpayers of Sioux Lookout’s expense… 2.5 million to be exact.
So, when they put out publications that they are on time and budget with the project it’s just more lip service and sugar coating to get the taxpayers to pay for something we shouldn’t be paying for. Developers are required to pay for water and sewage main extension to their development sites not the taxpayers… oh what a tangled web we weave. 
The Project Manager says they will fix my yard but will they put in a tree again so I won’t have to look at the ugliness of this circle? Will they put in a fence to block out the traffic noise? Will they put up something to prevent people from crossing our front yard? Doubtful… sad to say we are now considering leaving Sioux Lookout as one of our other neighbours has also put their home up for sale. Nice move Mayor… chase the homeowners out of Sioux lookout. 
Patricia Spice
Stan Dickson