CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISINGSPECIAL ISSUESONLINE SPORTSOBITUARIESNORTHERN JOBSTENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic


http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=347767
Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size
Resident mourns road to cemetery
Al Digness says the road to where his wife is buried is being 'neglected'

Joseph Tunney
Northern News Services
Friday, May 27, 2016

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Al Digness said when he goes to visit his wife's grave at Lakeview Cemetery he feels like he's traveling through the bush.

NNSL photo/graphic

Al Digness standing in front of the Lakeview cemetery, the road to which, he says is not presentable - Joseph Tunney/NNSL photo

"The road is always in disrepair," said Digness about Road 66, which runs to the cemetery from Old Airport Road.

"That road goes to the cemetery of Yellowknife, the capital city."

As Digness is keen to point out, it's a dirt road, and other than the fact that a road has been bulldozed through the forest not much else has been done to beautify it.

When his wife Mary Anne died in November 2014 more than 400 people showed up to the funeral, said Digness, and all of them had to go down that dirt road.

In Digness' mind, the road should be paved and have some curbs installed.

"There's no base to it," he said. "It's basically someone took a bulldozer and plowed the road into the graveyard, laid some gravel on top and said, 'OK, that's the road to the graveyard.'"

Digness said he visits the graveyard three times a week and much of his family is buried there.

With budget discussions getting underway, Coun.

Julian Morse told News/North the state of the road is low on his list of priorities.

"If we had a lot of citizens coming to us and saying to us we should pave it and that it's a priority, then perhaps," said Morse.

"I, personally, as a resident, don't think of it as an issue."

Morse said although he couldn't speak for other members of council, he wouldn't consider paving the road in the upcoming budget.

Chris Greencorn, director of Public Works and Engineering, could not be reached from comment as of press time.

Digness wrote about the state of the road on a Facebook group, "Yellowknife City Council- Ideas and Issues".

A few days after his post he noticed that someone had graded the road during one of his routine visits. Despite the slight improvement, Digness said the road is not up to the standard it should be for a cemetery.

"Because it's the cemetery it seems like it's just neglected," said Digness.

"It's where you're loved ones are laid to rest, it should be presentable."

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.