On September 9th of last year, nine year old Baeleigh Emily Maurice was fatally hit by a truck while riding a scooter on her way to school in the 600 block of 33rd Street West. Her tragic death was brought up during this week’s Transportation Committee meeting, when Diane bentley, President of the Hudson Bay Park/Mayfair/Kelsey Woodlawn Community Association spoke about pedestrian safety at crosswalks. She urged the committee to watch the video on social media released by Baeleigh’s mother, although warned that it would tear your heart out.

Bentley is advocating for more warning for drivers that a crosswalk is coming up, like an X on the road like you would see before a railway crossing, or a yellow sign posted in advance of the intersection.

“I would encourage the City of Saskatoon to be bold, to be innovative and to be creative.  You don’t have to wait for federal or provincial legislation to act, you can take action to prevent further tragedy.”

A report from Administration states that advance warning signs for pedestrian crossings are recommended for crosswalks where there may be limited visibility of the crossing. They aren’t required for the crossswalks on 33rd Street West between Idylwyld Drive and Avenue H, but it will be a part of Administration’s upcoming review.