The fine spring weather we’ve been having has given me an opportunity to get out and “knock on doors” in my constituency. In the past couple of weeks I’ve been on parts of Rosedale, Central, Frederick, Keystone, Gesner and Coronation in Fairview.

Certainly the flag controversy is top-of-mind for many people, and I heard about it often. It seems that everyone has an opinion on how best to honour the fallen members of Canada’s armed forces.

This debate has become more poignant for me. I know personally only one member of our contingent in Afghanistan, and that’s Captain Trevor Greene. Trevor’s the fellow who was struck in the head by an axe-wielding attacker. Fortunately Trevor wasn’t killed, but it was a near thing. The last time I spoke to Trevor was last June, at a get-together of some university friends, and he told me how proud and patriotic he felt to be serving Canada abroad.

Apart from the flag controversy, the most common issue I hear about when canvassing is traffic. Ever since I was first elected five years ago, concerns about the volume and speed of traffic along our neighbourhood streets is a constant refrain.

For example, last week Gordon M. on Coronation Avenue pointed out to me that Willett Street is a major morning shortcut for traffic flowing from Clayton Park West down to Dutch Village Road and Joseph Howe Drive. This problem is surely only going to get worse with the new Mount Royale development on the west side of Dunbrack Street/Northwest Arm Drive.

Most traffic issues (and police enforcement) are within the domain of your city councillor, and I encourage you to contact them with your concerns. In my constituency we have two good city councillors, Russell Walker and Linda Mosher, but they can’t start to address your traffic concerns if they don’t know about them.

While I was canvassing on Rosedale Avenue, Pat M. expressed a concern that the Mount Royale development would lead to Rosedale being opened to Northwest Arm Drive (often referred to as Dunbrack Street, although technically Dunbrack ends at the Main Avenue lights). This immediately caught my attention, because Northwest Arm Drive is a provincial highway and I, as MLA, am responsible for it. Any new opening to Northwest Arm Drive would require provincial approval.

I contacted the developer, the province and Councillor Walker. All assured that me that there is no intention, whatsoever, to open up Rosedale. I delivered copies of the correspondence to every home on Rosedale above Hillcrest. From the phone calls and e-mails I subsequently received, I learned that this concern was shared widely among Rosedale residents. I’m glad I was able to put their fears to rest. Rosedale is a quiet residential street, and none of us wants that to change.

So, for better or worse, election or no election, expect me to be knocking on your door sometime soon. It helps me to do my job better, and I believe you find it useful to meet your elected representative face-to-face.