A letter to the Leader-Post needs a little follow-up information. You may have noticed there is construction on 11th Avenue at the bus stops by the Cornwall Centre. There is a heated shelter being installed. This will make waiting for buses downtown possible after businesses close.
Do we really need heated shelters when there are stores, malls, coffee shops and businesses where one can stay warm while waiting for buses?
Is that a rhetorical question? Of course we do. Several businesses on that street made it clear last Winter that they viewed people seeking shelter as “loiterers” and unwelcome in their shops.
It remains to be seen if these shelters are effective. Ideally they would be integrated into the businesses along the street so the heating costs would be shared by the businesses benefiting from the foot traffic downtown. We’ve inherited street design from the early 20th century modified into one concocted by General Motors. It’s time for some progress. As Charlene Vanderberghe says, Regina is a progressive city. Let’s think progressively.
John Klein - Regina 