The upcoming 2020 Street Improvement Program (SIP), announced on July 7, was awarded to Rubydale Asphalt for the amount of $1,044,674 according to the press release.
    Major areas of repair and improvement would focus on repairs downtown, including resurfacing the parking lot by Shopper Drug Mart, and repaving Cedar Crescent. To keep costs under the approved SIP budget of $914,000 a number of projects have been deferred to a future year.
    “If citizens have concerns (about roads and other infrastructure), we encourage them to make use of our SeeClickFix app,” said Dave Brett, Director of Infrastructure Services. He added these identified concerns are assessed and added to a list of proposed areas for future projects.
    SIP itself is funded by the Town of Drumheller for municipal projects and is evaluated annually for upcoming projects, Brett said. He added unless concerns pose a safety issue, the town has a period of two to five years to address the complaint and they often try to target specific areas and group patching projects together to maximize efficiency.
    One of the major focal points of the project is repaving Cedar Crescent.
    Brett said residents in the area can expect some disruptions for access and will receive notice ahead of any construction. He added that construction would still need to allow access for emergency vehicles to the area.
    Several citizens commented their concerns on Facebook over communities not included in the improvements following the press release. One area Brett acknowledges residents would like to see on the SIP docket is Newcastle.
    “There are other factors that go into choosing future project areas,” Brett said. The risk of flooding and heavy equipment use on the road can incur additional costs and work, and he noted Newcastle will be considered for future improvements following the completion of flood mitigation projects.
    Another major focus of the project would include work from 2nd Street SW from Railway Avenue to 2nd Avenue. Brett noted this road is owned by Alberta Transportation and, “Funds (for these) come directly from Alberta Transportation for these improvements and must be approved first by them.” Rubydale Asphalt would need to adhere to Alberta Transportation regulations to minimize disruptions on these roads, and work would need to be completed outside the busy tourism season to avoid disruptions and closures.
    The 2020 Street Improvements Project is

available at www.drumheller.ca and residents can notify the town of any infrastructure concerns by phone or by using the SeeClickFix app.

This weekend I stained my deck. I’ve always been more of a books over brawn kind of gal, but during CoVID, I’ve become determined to make my yard a summertime oasis. After all, I won’t be travelling very far this year and I love being outside, enjoying the sun. Our yard gets perfect evening warmth and I intend to maximize that good fortune.
    Having never stained a deck before, I had to do some research. Thank goodness someone warned me to pressure wash it first. And gave me the hint to spray it with Spray Nine Degreaser. What
a difference it has made.
    This is one of my many summer home projects. I’m certainly not the only one on a mission to tackle home improvement projects.
    The Bank of America surveyed over a thousand Americans about their plans during coronavirus and more than 70% have decided to work on home renovations. Similarly, in Canada, the CoVID Consumer Spending Tracker shows an increase of 25% on household items and construction supplies.
    For many, it’s something to do with the time they have as a result of not travelling this year. For others, it’s stress relief. In some cases, needing a home office forces improvements. For certain people, it’s finally working through that to do home list that’s been on the fridge for too long. Millennials top the list for spending on such projects, set on doing things themselves, defying the common criticism of the generation as spoiled.
    Toronto Star even has a home renovation challenge during CoVID (#StarChallenge). Readers can send photos of their gardens, decks, porches, or any sort of home renovation project. I bet the number of projects in Drumheller is high. There’s definitely more hammering and sawing around our neighborhood. Don’t even try to find a swing set, matching Adirondack chairs or patio furniture for a good price locally. They’re sold out. I struggled to find even a hose holder. In Quebec, it’s impossible to get a pool anywhere. Home Depot shares are up 35%, Sherwin-Williams is up 26% and Canadian Tire up almost 80%.
    Summer Staycations have taken over. Now if only Mother Nature would stop sending us so much rain.
    Have you undertaken a home renovation project during CoVID?

Dear COVID-19 is a weekly column supplied by Drs. Rithesh and Veronique Ram