State dinners may not be part of the gig, but as a “high-ranking diplomat” of the Town of Newmarket’s construction ambassador program, residents who take on the role can help their neighbours survive major construction projects.
Millard Avenue resident Nancy Fish jumped at the chance to be her street’s ambassador last fall during 13 weeks of construction activity from Lorne Avenue to Queen Street. That capital works project included replacing culverts, a temporary road closure, with a new pedestrian island to follow for increased safety at the Haskett Park crossing.
That work is part of a bigger project that will one day see the Tom Taylor Trail extended up Davis Drive to Haskett Park at Millard Avenue, construction of a visitor parking lot, and the development of a unique parkette known as a breathing space, where residents can enjoy time in green space as the area intensifies.
“Having a seat at the table was a very positive and rewarding experience as it afforded us the opportunity to participate in discussions and problem-solving, while obtaining real-time updates via consistent and timely communication,” Fish said. “I can’t imagine how hard it would have been having no direct communication during the construction.”
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The resident construction ambassador program was launched in 2016 and provides an opportunity for residents to participate in the construction process through a delegated ambassador who meets with the construction crew on a regular basis.
They then share concerns with the crew and report back to neighbours on how the project is progressing.
“We need more people to step up and take advantage of this,” Fish said. “I heard about it and I was hoping to be part of it because I think it’s good that the town is encouraging people to become involved in what they’re doing.”
Fish met with the project team every two weeks. She’d pull on her old work boots and walk down to the site to hear about what was happening and what’s coming up. She’d also share with them any concerns regarding safety or traffic that her neighbours relayed to her.
“They really made you feel comfortable and would listen to you,” she said. “And I had email access to them all the time, so if we did have an issue we could email back and forth. It’s really an effective way of doing things.”
Councillor Bob Kwapis, who serves residents in the downtown area, said the ambassador program is an initiative the town piloted that has proven to be successful when major construction projects are underway. It goes hand-in-hand with public information meetings offered at the planning stage so resident’s feedback can be incorporated into the final plans. And, once the project is underway, a “fun and engaging” Construction Corner newsletter is mailed out to nearby homeowners with regular updates.
“We said, now that we have the residents involved in pre-consultation, why don’t we actually get them involved in communicating what’s going on during the construction activity, and bring that information back to the crew and vice versa.”
“The ambassador program is really good for opening up a two-way conversation,” Kwapis said. “It’s going to become a lot more mainstream.”
Fish said her neighbours were “very appreciative of being kept in the loop”. She encourages all residential groups to get involved in the program and become an ambassador for construction projects slated for their Newmarket neighbourhoods.
For more information, visit the Town of Newmarket’s Construction Corner.