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Light pollution and safety for toboganners a concern in Battleford

Battleford town council will decide the fate of a planned light pole at an upcoming meeting.
town hall pic

Battleford town council will decide the fate of a planned light pole at an upcoming meeting.

At last Monday's town council meeting, two letters from members of the public expressed concern regarding planned light poles in an area near Battleford’s walking trails. The light poles aren’t installed yet.

One of the letters expressed concern about the possible danger of a light pole being installed at the bottom of a hill used for tobogganing in the winter.

Some options discussed at council included installing the light pole and padding it, installing the light pole and pushing snow against it, or not installing the light pole in an area where tobogganers might hit it.

Councillors wondered if padding the light pole would result in liability for the town. The cost of skipping the light in the planned succession of lights and rewiring were estimated to be $500 to$1,000.

Other concerns included light pollution.

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said lights near the walking trails make the area safer and the LED lights would emit little light pollution.

“The river valley belongs to everybody in the town of Battleford, not just the people who live along the river,” Leslie said.

A decision is to be made at an upcoming council meeting.