(Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

School Area designation

Area around Northeast Christian Academy designated a ‘School Area’, rather than a school zone

Sep 3, 2025 | 12:05 PM

An area around the Northeast Christian Academy private school on Main St. In Melfort has been designated a ‘School Area’.

Director of Public Works Kalyna Cipywnyk told northeastNOW the review of the roadways around the academy happened when the City received a letter from the school this year with a request to designate the roads around the school as a school zone.

In the letter, the school’s administration raised concerns that there was no school zone speed limit reduction on the streets, despite them being a registered and certified school institution. They requested that signage be installed with a speed limit in the back alley of the school because it was adjacent to where the playground is located. Cipywnyk said those concerns were taken into account during the City’s evaluation of the situation.

“Administration reviewed this request in accordance [with] the Transportation Association of Canada’s “School and Playground Areas and Zones” Guidelines and presented the evaluation to City Council with the recommendation that these streets be designated as a school area, as per the TAC Guidelines.,” Cipywnyk explained.

She said the TAC guidelines state that the key distinction between a School Area versus a School Zone is that “areas are designated with cautionary signage only, whereas zones are denoted with cautionary signage and a reduced speed limit.”

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According to Cipywnyk, as part of the TAC guidelines, a procedure is provided to consider several criteria when determining the need for a school zone or area. They include school type, road classification, fencing, separation from property lines, the location of school entrances, and the location of sidewalks. The procedure then assigns them a maximum point value (MPV), reflecting its relative importance. A weighting factor (WF) is also assigned to each selection, with the higher values indicating a greater need for an area or zone.

“As per the evaluation, the 900 Block of Main Street (the street in front of the school) had an overall score of 78, which falls in marginal area between warranting a school area vs. a school zone,” Cipwynyk said. “When considering the local conditions, including the close proximity of a pedestrian activated crosswalk at the Main Street and Hatton Avenue intersection, and the designation of Main Street as an Arterial roadway, it is Administration’s recommendation to designate this area as a formal “School Area”, and erect the appropriate cautionary signage.”

City crews are in the process of erecting appropriate School Area signs, and the changes will be in effect once the signage is in place.

The City shared the information report and evaluation memo prepared for Council with the Northeast Christian Fellowship, and as of Wednesday morning no response had been received.

Cipywnyk said the City will continue to observe the area and if after further investigation and engagement with stakeholders it is determined that a speed limit reduction is warranted, a formal recommendation report will be presented to Council for approval. Any speed limit changes to Melfort’s streets must first be approved by Council, as per the City’s traffic bylaw.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com