Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/250756
Speaker's Corner Amen to That We enjoy travelling around our province and getting to know it better. So when we saw the Robinhood Lutheran Church photo (By the Way, Winter 2013), it really interested us. You can just imagine the crisp snow crunching under your boots as you make your way to this old building and the stories it could tell. Thanks for letting us know where it is. –Linda Vaillancourt, Tompkins Gone Trail-breaking In "Gone Skiing" (Winter 2013), Allan Casey writes ". . . at the start of the 2012/13 ski season . . . the federal government announced it would no longer maintain ski trails in our national parks." In November 2012, a dedicated group of Waskesiu locals volunteered to track 46 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in Prince Albert National Park. Parks Canada trains volunteers and provides grooming equipment. It also lends skis, snowshoes and strollers on skis (available at the Hawood Inn). Check for trail conditions at pc.gc.ca/princealbert. W –Shannon Bond Public Relations and Communications Officer Prince Albert National Park Write us: Speaker's Corner, Westworld Saskatchewan, 200 Albert Street N., Regina, SK S4R 5E2; email: caa.admin@caask.ca. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. Safety First CAA Saskatchewan has a strong and long-standing reputation as a traffic and road safety advocate. Our continuous messaging on all aspects of safe driving and driving behaviour is available 24/7 through various communication channels, including news releases shared with all provincial media, as well as through our own website, social media and member resources such as this magazine. My professional background as a chief engineer with the provincial Ministry of Highways has provided me with experience, expertise and insight on the subject of traffic safety. As the recently appointed chair of CAA Saskatchewan's board of directors, I will continue to promote the need for good highways and advocate for road safety. Last fall, I was an invited stakeholder to the provincial government's announcement regarding traffic safety initiatives. The government's plan includes tougher penalties for drinking and driving, expanded photo radar for speed control and increasing awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. I was pleased to learn about these initiatives because they very much dovetail with CAA's position on the importance of traffic safety and safe roads for all motorists. Through CAA's Worst Roads campaigns, we identified, with the help of Saskatchewan motorists, the roads and highways that are in need of repair. To date, several have been repaired or are in the process of being fixed. We applaud the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure and municipal governments for their work on much-needed road improvements. We also support the provincial government's efforts to install additional cameras on our highways so motorists can see road conditions electronically. On behalf of our valued CAA Saskatchewan members, we look forward to continuing to work with the Ministry of Highways, municipal governments, SGI and other stakeholders to promote traffic safety, advocate for better roads and reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. Last year in Saskatchewan, 184 people were killed on our roads and highways. Improved road safety and driving behaviour is paramount. To learn more, please visit our website at caask.ca/advocacy-safety. –Barry D. Martin, Regina Chair of the Board 6 w e s t w o r l d | s p r i n g 2 0 14 p06-07 SpeakersCorner.indd 6 14-01-23 11:04 AM 1 K is E • • • • • FO an (P th of wi ra Ta Di CA h