‘It’s quite treacherous’: Saskatoon senior says icy pedestrian tunnel remains unsafe despite city monitoring

A Saskatoon senior is calling on the city to improve conditions in a pedestrian tunnel linking Massey Place and Mount Royal. Carla Shynkaruk reports.

A Saskatoon senior is calling on the City to address what she describes as dangerous conditions in a pedestrian tunnel connecting the Massey Place and Mount Royal neighbourhoods.

Deborah Edmison says the tunnel, which runs under Circle Drive, becomes especially hazardous during the spring thaw.

“At this time of year, it’s quite treacherous,” Edmison told CTV News.

Edmison uses the tunnel at least a couple of times a week to travel between the two communities. She says she relies on the route to attend a class and previously used it regularly to get to work, noting the alternative path is significantly longer.

“Well, the first thing is, I say a little prayer to get through safely. It is a real challenge to get through, and I’m clinging on to the culvert,” she said.

She says she has been dealing with the issue for about 30 years and has contacted the City multiple times, even going to council meetings over the years.

“I just wish this could be resolved so it’s safe to go from one community to the other,” she said.

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In a response shared with Edmison, the City said crews check tunnel locations daily and are aware that water collects in lower areas.

However, Edmison says she hasn’t seen meaningful improvement.

“The City continues to inspect tunnel locations every day, as we run into this challenge every year during the spring thaw,” the City said in an email to CTV News.

“The City is actively trying to keep the water flowing during the freeze thaw cycles. When necessary, the City will barricade tunnels. The roadways supervisor is also monitoring and will explore any other solution if possible.”

Edmison believes a more permanent fix is needed.

“It would be lovely to see a culvert or some kind of drainage system that actually drains the ice and water away.”

She notes that when conditions are clear, the walk through the tunnel takes about two to three minutes. But when ice builds up and the surface becomes uneven, it can take up to 10 minutes.

“It’s just kind of sad that we haven’t solved this problem yet because it’s been many, many years,” she said.

Edmison also questions what she sees as a double standard.

“If this was in front of my house, I wouldn’t be allowed to have this ice on my sidewalk. I would probably get a warning and then possibly a ticket,” she said.

She says she enjoys walking to stay active, but the conditions make that difficult, especially with warmer weather ahead.

“It’s going to be water. And I have walked through here when it’s been water… I would say it’s been about six inches deep.”

Edmison hopes the City will do more and take further action to improve safety for pedestrians who rely on the tunnel.