Tod Fox made pleas to Saskatoon’s transportation committee Tuesday for improved intersection safety in honour of his wife Natasha Fox.
Natasha Fox was killed in May of 2023 at the intersection at College Drive and Wiggins Avenue when she was hit by a car while riding her bike.
Fox opened up to the committee about how his grief is overtaken by guilt, his head filling with thoughts of how he hasn’t done enough to protect others from suffer the same fate as his wife.
“We asked for the city to fix three intersections. Three. Not 30. Not 300. Three. Three intersections that we know are dangerous. Three intersections that could save three lives. Three intersections that could spare three families from the imaginable pain I live with every day,” said Fox.
He adds all he asked the council to do was improve the safety of three intersections but feels nothing has been done.
“Have you fixed even one intersection above what was planned? Have you taken a single action? Additional steps to protect the lives of the citizens. Have you done the best you can? Or have you let this demand fall on deaf ears?”
Fox held a “ride for your life” event in which hundreds of people came out to rally for change.
“Did you (the city) hear us? Did you hear the voices of hundreds of people pleading for action? Did you hear the cries of families who have lost loved ones? Did you hear the fear in the voices of those who still worry every time they walk or bike down our streets?” said Fox.
“I am not asking for miracles. I am asking for action. Fix three intersections. Show us that you value the lives of your citizens. Show us that you are listening.”
Fox stresses his calls for change aren’t only for Natasha, it is for every person who has lost a loved one, for anyone who fears for their safety on the streets.
The council said following Fox’s speech, it has provided $100,000 for road safety audits with a plan to do more this year.
Council added it has completed dozens of road safety initiatives since last year, including lowering speed limits on bike lane roads.
The three intersections suggested by Fox have not improved and all improvements that occurred within the city were based on recommendations from 2023.