“I kissed my wife goodbye for the last time.”
Tod Fox lost his wife Natasha after she was struck by a vehicle while riding her bike to work in Saskatoon on May 24. Tod made an emotional speech at a city council meeting Wednesday recalling that day, and advocating for change from the city regarding road safety for cyclists.
“I said I love you for the last time as she rode away to her school,” Tod said through a trembling voice.
He said Natasha died at the intersection of College Drive and Wiggins Avenue, which was known to be problematic for ten years, and that it was a problem the city chose not to address.
“It’s a loss and a trauma that could have been avoided with better decisions made in this room.”
Tod said he didn’t want to be at city hall, but felt like he needed to be there.
“I’m here to make sure you damn well know we can do better. She deserves better.”
He spoke about how his two kids had to witness their mother die.
“These motions put forth today are meaningless to me now. They won’t bring her back.”
“Saskatoon, my children need you to make better decisions,” Tod pleaded.
Over 80 people submitted letters or requested to speak at city council after recommendations were brought forth by Coun. Cynthia Block to bring in a third party audit on road safety and to see an update on the Active Transportation Plan, which was passed.
Block said she’s been contacted by many people since the death of Natasha.
“I’m interested to review where we’re at, where we’re headed,” Block said.
Other advocates took to the podium, with 17-year-old Lucy Stobbe and other classmates calling for change, and calling for more safety for cyclists.
“As leaders of our city you have the power to keep cyclists safe on the road,” Stobbe said.
She said much of the discussion she has had with other cyclists has been trading stories of near misses. Many of her friends who don’t cycle are too afraid to start.
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Gordon Holtslander, board chair for Saskatoon Cycles, said reports and decisions by the city can move at a slow pace, but stressed that action should be taken in a more urgent manner.
“The city can’t implement the entire cycling system overnight, we understand that, but there has to be a triage approach to address the desperate situations now,” Holtslander said.
He said he would argue calling Natasha’s death an accident, noting an accident is something that you can’t foresee.
“An accident is something that happened unexpectedly. It was not an accident, it was waiting to happen.”
He said similar situations happen regularly, but that most of them don’t have such disastrous consequences.
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