Even before any findings have been released from the police investigation of the collision that resulted in 15 fatalities involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, the Saskatchewan government is apparently announcing that it will be hiring an un-named, private firm to conduct an audit of the safety of the intersection where the crash occurred.
In an unusual comment Saskatchewan’s Premier Scott Moe was quoted as saying “We’re going to take a renewed interest in…looking at all of our intersections across the province to ensure that we have our rightaways clear and that we have the visibility that’s required”.
For one thing, what is a “rightaway”? We have heard of a “right-of-way” but the quoted word is unheard of. Furthermore, if the Premier is making this bold commitment at this time, why is he doing so before any results have been released from the police investigation? Does he already know what that investigation reveals? And if so what does it reveal with respect to the line of sight at the intersection? Did the line of sight conform with the Province’s policies or not? That is a simple question that should result in a simple answer. Is this why a private firm is required, because personnel in the employ of the Province of Saskatchewan cannot determine for themselves whether their own line-of-sight policies have been met?
When will the results of the police investigation be released and what will it say about the line-of-sight that was available? These matters should not be left to rest until this information is made publicly available.