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Resident successfully lobbies to fill Harmony House pothole

New multi-use path could be installed along Arctic Drive as well

While Thompson's infrastructure seems like it is in a constant state of disrepair, residents of Harmony House got some relief Sept. 13 when city crews filled a large pothole in front of their building.

According to Kristopher Blake, this section of the road has remained severely damaged for five years, which posed a big problem for fellow Harmony House tenants that mostly consist of seniors and people living with disabilities.

Blake, who has cerebral palsy and requires the use of a wheelchair, said the city was only spurred to action when he reached out to Coun. Les Ellsworth personally.

After conducting a tour of Arctic Drive and other surrounding streets Aug. 22, Ellsworth promised Blake that he would take immediate action to rectify some of the more glaring infrastructure issues in that section of the city.

“I thought it was terrible to see that in front of Harmony House. What does that say from our perspective as a city? Do we care about disability or not?” Ellsworth told the Thompson Citizen. “I used that same argument at the last public works committee meeting.” 

Two days after the city’s Sept. 11 public works committee meeting, city crews put the finishing touches on the Harmony House pothole.

However, Blake said there are plenty more local infrastructure issues to tackle, with major sections of Thompson remaining inaccessible for people with disabilities.

“For years now I’ve been advocating for people with disabilities in Thompson, because accessibility matters to me and the senior and disabled population has grown so much in the last 17 years I’ve been here,” said Blake.

Moving forward, Ellsworth said he is also in talks with the director of development services Harkamaljeet Singh Gil to install a new multi-use path along Arctic Drive.

Although there is no solid timeline or specific cost attached to this project, Ellsworth that it should be completed by the summer of 2020.

Beyond that one initiative, Ellsworth also mentioned that infrastructure projects remain a high priority for this current city council.

Council applied for a flurry of Canada Infrastructure Program grants worth at least $44 million during their Sept. 16 regular meeting. 

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