Province erects new speed sign near Bothwell School

A reduced speed sign is back up near the Bothwell School. 

A school speed zone sign had been erected last year along Provincial Road 216 near the Crown Valley Road intersection. The sign alerted motorists of the 30 kilometre per hour (km/h) speed limit from September thru June. 

Jim Funk is Reeve for the Rural Municipality of Hanover. He says that sign was ordered by the municipality and installed last year by municipal staff.

However, just recently, the municipality was informed by the province that as the result of some technicalities, the sign would need to be removed. Funk says this happened last week. 

But, Funk says the municipality was in communication with government officials, working out plans to have the sign erected once again. As of last week Wednesday, Funk indicated that he expected the sign to go back up, "soon." In the meantime, he asked for patience from the community and assured residents that the municipality would do its best to get the matter resolved as quickly as possible.

According to Funk, by the end of last week a new sign was put in place. It is a different sign than the one that had been there since last year. Rather than a white sign alerting motorists to the 30 km/h speed limit from September thru June, this is a yellow sign informing motorists of the 30 km/h zone that lies ahead. 

Funk says the signage is certainly needed.

"Absolutely, the school is right beside the highway," notes Funk. "There are kids coming from the west side of the highway. So yes, we feel that slowing the traffic down is big for us."

The Reeve says the removal of the sign certainly stirred the emotions of New Bothwell residents. However, Funk says that is understandable, noting that whenever you are dealing with public safety, it can put people on edge. 

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