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19 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M arch 28,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca The Region of Waterloo is improving safety on regional roads with education, increased traffic enforcement and planned changes to infrastructure. But a full solution takes all of us. Whether you ride, walk or drive, there's no road safety without you. Walking There are many great reasons to walk in Waterloo Region. Walking keeps us healthy, protects the environment and reduces traffic. To make sure every walk is a safe one, drivers and pedestrians need to be extra cautious at signalized intersections. This is where most pedestrian collisions happen. Traffic signals are not safety devices, so you must be aware of your surroundings. Take an extra second to double check that the way is clear before you enter an intersection. Cycling Cycling is one of the most versatile ways to get around the Region. Since bicycles share the road with other vehicles, it's important that we work together to create a safe space for everyone. There are some easy steps we can all take to eliminate injury. With 74% of cycling collisions happening at signalized intersections, drivers should expect cyclists at every traffic signal. Always check your blind spot before turning or changing lanes. When cycling, be sure to use the rightmost through lane (not the crosswalk). Make eye contact with drivers and be aware of traffic around you. Driving In Waterloo Region, rear-end collisions at intersections account for the majority of injury-causing collisions. Fortunately, they're easy to prevent. When following another vehicle, take an extra second, keep your eyes on the road and give yourself plenty of space to stop. It's that simple. Entering roundabouts is another frequent way that motorists collide. Did you know that, before you enter a roundabout, you have to yield to traffic in all lanes - not just the outside lane? Pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles in the roundabout always have the right of way. Take an extra second to yield smart and avoid a costly collision. Want to join the Safe Roads solution? Visit SafeRoadsWR.com ROAD SAFETY TAKES YOU AND ME On March 13, more than 24 hours after the original 72 hours had passed, a group of residents broke into the unit through the back door to retrieve that tenant's be- longings, as well as a stove. McKenna called the po- lice, but, she says, they told her there was nothing they could do because the ac- cused had permission from the tenant. McKenna reiterated that it was no longer the tenant's property, but it fell on deaf ears. That's when one of the officers, McKenna alleges, said, "Well, it's Sunnydale. What do you expect?" Police spokesperson Cherri Greeno said the po- lice investigated the break- in and did not lay charges because permission was given. "We did respond and do a thorough investigation," said Greeno, adding that all calls are treated equal- ly, regardless of the loca- tion. "Any time that we would receive a call or con- cerns from anyone in any community, we would re- spond and do a thorough investigation," said Gree- no. In January of this year, a 33-year-old man and 38- year-old woman in Sunny- dale were arrested for fire- arms offences after a shot- gun was recovered by po- lice. McKenna said she has not been able to evict the woman in that case despite her being charged crimi- nally. "It has this history, but how do you get over that his- tory?" said McKenna. "Even if we had all of these units looking beautiful and every- one paying rent, it would still have this history." For years, the Sunny- dale neighbourhood has been plagued by issues. Last summer, the Chroni- cle wrote a series of stories about housing issues in the area. The 519-529 property, the one McKenna manag- es, was the worst of the two when it came to property standards. But, McKenna said, ev- erything is now moving in the right direction. "These are all the main- tenance requests we've completed," she said, pointing to a stack of about 30 sheets of paper in a bind- er. While McKenna has seen the prejudice from the outside, she said it's espe- cially disheartening when she sees the lack of respect from within. "The hardest part is the resistance from the com- munity," said McKenna. "I know they're holding back the history." The neighbourhood it- self is comprised of a smor- gasbord of different peo- ple. From recent refugees from Eritrea to locals who have lived in the complex for decades, there is a broad mix. Sometimes, that can make it challeng- ing. For example, McKenna said, one family was con- sistent handing her blank cheques with just a signa- ture. They didn't under- stand that the dollar amount was required. McKenna tried to ex- plain it to them, but be- cause of the language bar- rier, it was difficult. Similar situations hap- pen when it comes to main- taining the apartments. At times, if the family doesn't speak English and the property manager comes knocking on the door to carry out repairs, they aren't let in. The community seems disjointed at times, said McKenna. Just down the road is the Sunnydale Community Centre, which is run by the House of Friendship and Region of Waterloo. The community centre hands out food ham- pers to those in need and also provides other sup- ports, such as youth pro- grams and English speak- ing circles for immigrant families. There is also the Sunny- dale Community Associa- tion, which is run sepa- rately. Recently, a Sunnydale Tenants' Association has formed to take on housing issues. On top of that, there is the Sunnydale Neigh- bourhood Hub, an inde- pendently funded commu- nity centre of sorts, which is run by Jeremy Horn. McKenna said the piec- es are there - the communi- ty now just has to work to- gether to move forward. "There's obviously a lot more work to be done here, but we're trying," said Mc- Kenna. According to Greeno, Waterloo regional police have community resource officers that work with the area to target issues. NEWS Continued from page 1 "I KNOW THEY'RE HOLDING BACK THE HISTORY" STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Amanda McKenna took over as property manager and wanted to reflect on the community THE ISSUE: THE SUNNYDALE AREA IS DEALING WITH SOCIAL AND HOUSING ISSUES LOCAL IMPACT: RESIDENTS OF WATERLOO ARE LIVING IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS Local journalism makes a difference. Support us by registering at waterloochronicle.ca