REGINA — A proposed feasibility study from the City of Regina to extend Prince of Wales Drive to Wascana Parkway as part of the Wascana Parkway Extension project is being opposed by a group of Regina residents.
The Wascana View Action Group says the city cannot extend the roadway because of a conservation easement (CE) on the McKell Wascana Conservation Park.
“The conservation easement agreement with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the land owner [the McKell family] stipulates that no development can happen or occur on the subject lands,” said Lex Ewen of the Wascana View Action Group. In a 2012 feasibility study done by AECOM, it also states it's not possible to extend the road without encroaching on the land.
The McKell Wascana Conservation Park is a 171-acre park space dedicated to conserving and restoring native prairie and wetland habitat.
In 2010, DUC agreed with the city to develop the conservation park.
In a letter sent to SaskToday, DUC explained the impact of the development from the extension.
“The hydrology of the area would be modified, as will the migration patterns for wildlife that use the park and the CE area.”
DUC requested city council discontinue the feasibility study and cancel the Prince of Wales Drive extension.
Beyond the McKell Wascana Conservation Park, Ewen also said the road poses a safety risk at an intersection near the École W.S. Hawrylak School, which has over 800 students.
The request for proposal suggests upwards of 20,000 vehicles daily would drive through Prince of Wales Drive and Assiniboine Avenue East from the extension.
“We believe this extension will shift regional traffic into residential and school corridors not designed to carry it,” explained the Hawrylak school community council in a letter.
The council said this would jeopardize the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2029.
While Ewen is opposed to the extension, he acknowledged that there is a traffic problem along Arcola Avenue.
Instead of extending Prince of Wales Drive, the Wascana View Action Group believes the widening of Arcola Avenue should be a priority.
“Widening and improving traffic flow, whether it's timing or widening the road and improving the bridge, as well as utilizing the provincial bypass that we've already spent a ton of money on,” said Ewen.
In a 2022 Arcola Avenue corridor study, expanding Arcola Avenue to six lanes was estimated to cost roughly $20 million.
The option to expand Prince of Wales Drive would cost $27.8 million, with Ewen saying the group believes that number will be double.
As a taxpayer, Ewen said the $300,000 for the study should go towards better solutions.
“We want to help find solutions, and we're willing to work with the city and council to come up with this solution that makes the most sense.”
In a statement sent to SaskToday, the city said it is currently reviewing land considerations and regulatory requirements as part of the Wascana Parkway Extension project.
“Details on future opportunities to learn more about the project and provide feedback will be shared as soon as possible,” they added.
