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The current (and past) roadway and pedestrian access to the “university the world needs” at College Drive and Wiggins Avenue is a grotesque ridicule of human safety and an embarrassment to city officials. More than a year has passed since the tragic death of Natasha Fox.
Serious car and pedestrian accidents continue to mount at this exceptional intersection. Exceptional because this intersection boasts the highest pedestrian counts of anywhere in the city.
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An intersection that today has no painted pedestrian crossings, no extended crossing times for pedestrians, no cycling lane nor cycling corridor on Wiggins. An intersection where cars are free to turn in all directions, pinching pedestrians and cyclist alike, resulting in injury and death.
Cyclists are traffic. Pedestrians are traffic. Yet, the city only sees cars as traffic, while non-motorized commuters are subjected to appalling conditions and treated as “other.” At this location, high volumes of cyclists and pedestrians, as legitimate traffic, risk their lives every day going to and from campus.
This raises some important questions: Who is responsible for the tragic suffering of families from inadequate and delayed civic infrastructure? Are these roadway tragedies really accidents?
Bob Patrick, Saskatoon
Replanted trees, plants add beauty to city
Congratulations to the city’s parks department for its gorgeous potted plants display throughout the business improvement districts and along otherwise dreary stretches of Eighth Street, 22nd Street and Idylwyld Drive. Also its efforts transplanting trees lost to insects, disease, etc. must be acknowledged.
Retaining our magnificent urban forest also helps to reduce our carbon footprint. Thank you to all civic employees involved in these very worthy endeavours. They are much appreciated by all proud Saskatonians!
Douglas Bentham, Saskatoon
Ask candidates about electoral reform
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I envy the quality of democracy in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. These countries, among others, use proportional representation (PR) to elect their national legislatures.
PR ensures political parties win seats based on the percentage of votes they receive. This system encourages people to vote because they know their vote truly counts. In Canada, a dispiriting 50 per cent of votes elect no one; in Belgium, it’s less than five per cent.
PR systems lead to higher voter turnout (especially among younger people), more diverse representation (in terms of age, gender and occupation), and greater voter satisfaction. With more women in legislatures and a structure that encourages cooperation over competition, PR fosters collaboration.
This leads to thoughtful, long-term legislation that builds voter trust. Greater trust, in turn, leads to increased civic engagement — a key indicator of a healthy democracy.
As the Saskatchewan election approaches, ask your candidates if they support electoral reform with PR. If they don’t, ask how they plan to improve civic engagement and the quality of our democracy. Share your conversations with facebook.com/FairVoteSask and learn more at FairVote.ca.
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