summerside council shares plans for infrastructure, recreation during state of the city address
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during the state of the city address, mayor dan kutcher said summerside today is defined by a period of growth and the strides it has taken to adapt to the changing times.
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summerside, p.e.i. — summerside has grown over the years, and with growth comes the changes necessary to create a thriving city where people want not only to move, but to stay.
on thursday, april 23, summerside’s council held a state of the city address to keep residents informed of all the work that has happened and is happening in summerside.
in his speech, mayor dan kutcher discussed how summerside has been defined by distinct periods of change, like shipbuilding, maritime trade, fox farming or post-war expansion.
summerside, today, he said, is defined by its growth, how more people are choosing to stay in or move to summerside, whether to raise a family, work or retire.
that said, kutcher said the city recognizes the high median age of its population, with 20 per cent of the local workforce set to retire within the next decade, and the need to get younger.
“we need young workers in order to support our older adults as they age in this wonderful community,” said kutcher. “to do this, we focused on keeping the people that we have, retention, welcoming others back and attracting new young working families. this became our decision-making lens.”
as such, one of the priorities the city set was to build more housing of various kinds, including affordable housing.
members of summerside council spoke on infrastructure, housing, services and recreation during the annual state of the city address on april 23.
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in his address, kutcher said there have been 1,162 housing starts in summerside since 2022, the most in atlantic canada per capita, and housing developments are beginning to level off.
where once the city had a vacancy rate below one per cent, he said, it is now approaching four.
“we know that not every decision we make makes everybody happy,” said kutcher.
“but we are chosen to make the best decisions we can, with the best information we have, in the best interest of the people we represent.”
building infrastructure
as more housing leads to more people, the need for infrastructure also rises.
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this year, the city is investing nearly $10 million in its water, sewer and storm water systems. some infrastructure, said coun. justin doiron, is reaching the end of its life cycle, including some parts that are more than 100 years old.
in his address, doiron shared a number of planning committee initiatives, such as expanding the city’s sidewalk and active transportation networks, compiling a list of troublesome and concerning intersections for review and developing a new crosswalk policy.
“we are building a city that connects its people in measured and sensible ways,” said doiron. “it isn’t always flashy and exciting, but these are practical steps and they matter.”
during the state of the city address, coun. justin doiron shared some of the planning committee’s initiatives, which involve improvements to infrastructure like active transportation networks and the development of a new crosswalk policy.
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per coun. rick morrison, around $670,000 is also being invested into municipal services capital, to be put toward things like street resurfacing, new equipment, snow clearing, street lighting, signage and road maintenance.
in february, the city also opened a new major road, cairns boulevard, connecting uptown and downtown, which opened up more than 300 acres of land for future development — including two new emergency service buildings and, potentially, a new school.
cairns boulevard is also anticipated to improve response times for emergency services, such as fire. in late april, the city broke ground on the site of its new fire hall on ryan street near the top of cairns boulevard.
according to coun. norma mccoleman, summerside, has invested more than $6 million in emergency services for personnel, equipment and facilities.
six new police officers have also been trained through the cadet recruitment program, helping the city work toward having a full complement of 39 officers for the first time in years.
participation in summerside’s cultural events have been growing, said coun. norma mccoleman, and creating a city for people to connect is what makes it feel like home.
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vibrant community
but creating a city that people want to live in requires more than just services, housing and sidewalks — how people experience their community and connect with others matters, through culture, recreation and public spaces.
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“a livable city is not just one that functions well,” said mccoleman. “it is one that feels like home.”
those aspects are something the city has invested in, via a $570,000 community support program to support organizations that deliver such programming, said mccoleman. the city is also working on developing an updated municipal cultural plan.
participation in events like diversecity multicultural festival, the olde fashioned carnival, and the lobster carnival, she said, has increased over the last year. pride events are growing, and the city has expanded its art festival, taking it into schools, seniors’ homes and local businesses.
the look of the city, she added, matters as well. last year, the city adopted its first public art policy, having installed art installations, including a new mural on the side of the seafood supreme building downtown, and more murals are in development.
“we are also investing in artist spaces, heritage assets and the preservation of our shared history,” said mccoleman, “ensuring that as we grow, we remain connected to where we came from.”
summerside coun. ken trenholm said that a growing city needs more than just upgrades to infrastructure, but upgrades to the things that provide quality of life, like parks and green spaces.
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coun. ken trenholm added that the quality of life in a city includes parks and green spaces, mentioning a review of the present parks and green space plan.
the city has invested $400,000 repairs to the boardwalk, $700,00 into upgrading playgrounds across the city, upgrades to the baseball facilities and is adding a public washroom to green’s shore.
“all of this is part of a broader approach, one that aligns parks, recreation and tourism with community priorities,” said trenholm. “because as our city grows, the quality of life we offer must grow with it.”
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kristin gardiner is a reporter for the journal pioneer in prince edward island. she can be reached at kgardiner@postmedia.com.
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