By Andrea Nicholl
Local businesses have put pressure on government with a financial commitment to erect new speed reduction signs at the deadly Kitscoty intersection.
Automated Tank Manufacturing Inc. and K. Kenn Industries Limited have gone on record offering the Alberta government financial assistance in the placement of reduced speed signs to make the area an 80 kilometre zone. Both companies say they are extremely disappointed with government’s failure to take action at the Highway 16 and 897 intersection.
“There’s been too many near misses, too many accidents and too many people crossing the intersection,” said Automated Tank president and CEO Joe Bowser. “That young girl that was killed last week was one of my employee’s sisters.”
On Aug. 22 a fatal three-vehicle collision claimed the life of 19-year-old Leasa Headon, nearly two months after a fatal collision left an 82-year-old woman dead at the same intersection.
“(Government) has been looking at it for the last five years, they just haven’t done anything about it,” said Bowser. “Now it’s time the government come out and do what they should. How many more accidents? How many more people do we need to bury?”
Ken Freimark of K. Kenn Industries Limited says he’s also prepared to make a financial commitment to the installment of reduced speed signs.
“I don’t want to lose any employees to that corner. I have a number of big trucks on the road and at our safety meetings we’re all told to slow down to 80 clicks and we do, but there’s out of province drivers that don’t know that corner and they’re driving by us at 130 or 140 kilometres an hour. We have to put something there to stop it.”
Freimark and Bowser have arranged a meeting with MLA Lloyd Snelgrove for early this week and hope to put the pressure on government.
“I hope Snelgrove takes a good stand,” said Freimark. “The people of Kitscoty, Vermilion and Lloydminster voted for Lloyd and I think he should take a stand right now and do something.”
“I have full expectations that the government will become very proactive very quickly and get reduced speed signs to 80 kilometres per hour for two kilometres on each side of Kitscoty,” said Bowser. Both Freimark and Bowser challenge the Government of Alberta and the Minister of Highways to install speed reduction signs within the next 10 days. They say if government doesn’t take action the community and supporting businesses will rally together to erect the new signs.
“Without a doubt we will be writing more letters and sending more flowers to those that have been killed on this corner due to an irresponsible government,” said Bowser. “I think it’s lack of attention, but if it is lack of funding we’ll be more than happy to support those signs.”