Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
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I've been busy watching
I believe any male who can pass a construction site without stopping a while to watch the big boys and their big toys must, by definition, be in an awful hurry to be somewhere else.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent several hours watching the Ron Robinson crew working on what has become known as The Big Dig on Brock Street West. Two things in particular have impressed me.
Firstly, unlike many construction projects I have observed, particularly those involving roadwork, I have not seen small knots of workers standing around chatting and leaning on their shovels. Indeed, watching this crew, I have noticed how they seem to be in a hurry, with workers often running from one spot to another. Watching these men, a word not often used these days comes to mind: bustling.
Indeed, a supervisor told me that, despite the number of rainy days we've had since the project started, the work is on schedule. Presumably, if we had had less rain, they would be ahead of schedule.
Secondly, I am in awe of the men operating the excavating machines. Some of you might have observed me standing on the perimeter of the dig with a broad smile on my face. The skill demonstrated by these men is such that I can't help smiling. It seems strange to use such words as “delicate” and “precision” when talking about these behemoths weighing several tons, but having watched them in action, I'm convinced the operators could use those giant toothed buckets to comb my hair and part it without so much as a nick.
And, so far, I'm impressed with what I'm hearing from those most directly affected by the dig. For the most part, it appears the majority of storeowners along that section of road are not suffering in terms of customer traffic. Indeed, one storeowner told me her business is up since the dig started. Others say they see little change in the amount of business they are doing and seem surprised, given that the dig comes at the same time as the recession.
Most of them are full of praise for the way the Ron Robinson crew is doing all they can to make life as easy as possible for them. The BIA, especially chair Bev Leslie, are to be congratulated on the way they have prepared for the construction and for the way in which they have kept communications going between all involved. And the signs are there for all to see: “We're open for business”.
Can you feel a big “but” coming? Here it is.
There is one small but important aspect of the Big Dig that has not gone as it should have, and the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Township staff.
Merchants had asked the township to make sure there was plenty of signage around directing motorists to the various parking lots in the downtown area. I have been able to locate none.
It seems to me that, although the Big Dig is a Regional project, it wouldn't be asking too much of the Township to accommodate both merchants and motorists in this small way. And while they're at it, they could add some touches to take the sting out of the inconvenience the construction is causing, similar to Ms. Leslie's homemade Sammy the Sewer sculpture at Brock and Spruce.
Tell me, am I wrong?
