To the Editor:
How many people do you know that have been in accidents on Highway 6? A petition hosted on change.org for highway improvements shows far too many! Many Northerners are afraid to drive south to Winnipeg in winter or are very nervous, especially when they have to pass a semi trailer or double-length trailers coming or going in winter conditions. Over the past three months alone, there have been head-on collisions that have resulted in two deaths!
This petition asks the province of Manitoba to start an immediate improvement program for better snow plowing, more de-icing, wider shoulders, passing lanes for semi trailers, rest stops, faster accident response times, and even a 2+1 lane system as used in Sweden and Ireland (also being reviewed for northern Ontario). That solution has reduced highway accidents by 50 to 80 per cent. We believe strongly that funds can be prioritized to make this happen in the north over the next few years.
Some 3,800 have already signed. Thank you to them! As a non-political citizens action group, we will present this to the minister of Transportation when we reach 5,000. We are asking all drivers over 16 to sign, as well as mayors, chiefs and community leaders in Thompson and neighbouring communities. We want this petition to have an impact with the new minister of transportation and the new premier and any future government, as this will be a multi-year project.
There will always be snowstorms in Canada when a highway is closed. For the other 95 per cent of the time, Northern Manitobans and their families should be able to drive to the south without fear or stress. Or visit their friends or family coming to the North during the Christmas and New Year’s season. Please set any political affiliation aside and sign this petition for the sole purpose of safety for yourself, your family and friends, and even for the next generation. There is no alternative! Please sign!
To find the petition, Google #SaferHighway6 or go to https://chng.it/mdTQ9k9V.
Bev Rolsky
Brenda Redman
Volker Beckmann
Inez Vystrcil
Lindsay Anderson
Thompson
