Town of Coaldale celebrates new Rehoboth Pathway

Sunny South News Photo by Kristine Jean. RIBBON CUTTING: Members of Town Council and Town staff joined guests and representatives from Rehoboth Christian Ministries for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 9 to celebrate the completion of a paved pathway along Highway 845 to the Rehoboth centre. The new pathway will provide safer active modes access for Coaldale residents.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Coaldale residents and those working at Rehoboth Christian Ministries, now have a safer route to travel in town and to and from work. 

Members of Town Council, Town staff, representatives from Rehoboth Christian Ministries and guests, gathered on Sept. 9, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a paved pathway along Highway 845 to the Rehoboth centre.  

The pathway now provides safer active modes access – that includes walking, cycling and using mobility aids – to the Rehoboth center, and recognizes resident advocacy that helped make the project a reality.  

“This project started with a very real safety concern,” said Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn. “For years, residents walking to Rehoboth had no good option. North of 14 Ave., Highway 845 has no sidewalk and no adequate shoulder, so people walked along the highway itself.”  

Together, with pathway infrastructure constructed over the past five years, “this improvement creates a continuous 2.7-kilometre pedestrian route” noted Van Rijn, extending from the at-grade crossing at Highway 3 and Land O’ Lakes Drive to Rehoboth Christian Ministries. 

The completed pathway is about 410 metres long and cost roughly $230,000 to construct. It will connect with an additional 870 metres of freshly paved pathway along Highway 845 and 16 Ave. at the end of the 2026  construction season.

Coaldale resident and advocate Christian Connon, works at the Rehoboth centre and for the Town of Coaldale. He first brought the issue to council’s attention via a petition he started, requesting Council consider alternatives for improving active modes access to Rehoboth.

“Our work is located on the border of the Town of Coaldale, where walking to and from work is difficult for many of us,” said Connon, adding he and others struggle with walking in town during the day to volunteer, get groceries and buy supplies. “To get to Rehoboth and back we (more or less) have to walk alongside the highway for a portion of it.” 

Some of the issues they faced included walking on uneven ground and dealing with large trucks and vehicles along the highway. 

“Many of my colleagues have mobility issues and this makes it more challenging,” said Connon. 

The project was identified as a priority in 2022 and in 2023, Town staff presented Council with several options during its budget deliberations. They ultimately approved the construction of a pathway alongside the Coaldale Cemetery, directing pedestrian traffic away from the highway corridor.  

In his remarks, Van Rijn recognized Connon and thanked him for his hard work and dedication to helping improve pedestrian safety. 

“This pathway is an excellent example of how one resident’s initiative can lead to a meaningful improvement for the entire community,” said Van Rijn. “Christian identified a genuine safety concern, took the time to bring it forward and helped build support for a practical solution. Today’s ribbon cutting is an opportunity not only to celebrate the completion of this pathway, but also to recognize Christian’s efforts in helping make it a reality.”

In addition to a safer route to Rehoboth, the pathway also provides a safe walking and cycling connection to the Coaldale Cemetery, noted Van Rijn.  

“I want to thank our Council for recognizing the importance of pedestrian safety and for having the vision to move forward on this project,” he said, noting the work done by Volker Stevin and Town staff, including Dustin Yanke, Mark Boltezar, Terry May, and CAO Kalen Hastings, along with the rest of the Town team. 

“Completing the design and construction administration in-house helped reduce the project’s overall cost while still delivering a quality pathway for our community,”  said Van Rijn. “This may not be the biggest infrastructure project the Town will complete, but it’s an important one for keeping people safe and making Coaldale more accessible and better connected.”