Sudbury

Documentary showcases what it's like to walk in Sudbury

When Matt Alexander lived in Sudbury, he routinely got around the city on foot. However, he says that wasn’t always an easy challenge to achieve.
A documentary called 32 Short Films about Walking in Sudbury is being screened this weekend. (Youtube/32 Short Films About Walking In Sudbury)

When Matt Alexander lived in Sudbury, he routinely got around the city on foot. However, he says that wasn't always an easy challenge to achieve.

He started to look closer into the issue around 2013, after noticing an increase in the number of pedestrians getting hit. That's when he created a map of pedestrian collisions.

"I started making some of these different videos to illustrate some of the weird, absurd things that pedestrians have to deal with in Sudbury," Alexander said.

He eventually reached out to friends and acquaintances to ask where they walk and what challenges they face while doing so in Sudbury. That led to him making videos of how people move throughout the city.

Alexander discovered certain areas of the city were very pedestrian-friendly, but others were not. He said Lasalle Boulevard is one example of an area that has lots of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

"It's actually really hazardous for pedestrians because of the speed of vehicles, the volume of vehicles and relative distance between crosswalks," he said.

Alexander's documentary will be screened at the upcoming Junction North International Documentary Film Festival, happening between Thursday and Sunday in Sudbury.