Santa Claus is coming to Belleville, but he’s taking his reindeer on a different route.
Tuesday night, city council approved a Santa Claus Parade route that will run from the fairgrounds at Sidney and Bridge Street West, through the East Hill, rather than along Front Street in the downtown.
The Belleville Chamber of Commerce, which runs the parade for the city, noted that it can no longer use the closed Quinte Secondary School site to end its parade.
It will end at the Bayview Mall.
Councillor Chris Malette pointed out the change was needed for safety reasons and the East Hill residents are “ecstatic.”
New traffic signal
The transfer of students from a closed Belleville high school to Eastside Secondary School has caused traffic congestion at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Herchimer Avenue.
Tuesday night, city council approved a by-law to change the intersection at Victoria and Herchimer from a four-way stop to traffic signals.
Eastside Secondary School took students from Quinte Secondary which was shutdown.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk tells Quinte News there was a congestion problem with buses at the four-way stop and it is hoped the signals will make the intersection safer.
Maybe another traffic signal
At city council Tuesday night, Belleville councillor Bill Sandison announced some good news regarding the traffic situation at Highway 62 and the Foxboro-Stirlng Road.
Sandison said he has been informed that the province has completed the design for installation of traffic control signals at that spot.
Construction is expected to start in the spring.
Councillor Sandison has been working on getting the traffic signals at that location for some time.
