By Jana Semeniuk, Staff Reporter
Bruderheim Deputy Mayor Dayna Jacobs addressed town council on Aug. 20 urging support for a letter calling on immediate action from the provincial government to address a dangerous intersection south of Mundare.
Last month, three accidents occurred, killing two people within 12 days of each other at the junction of highway 16 and 855. The intersection is notoriously dangerous with 13 collisions reported since 2022 and four fatalities, including the recent two.
Jacobs referenced the death of 17-year-old Annya Palsitt who was killed at the intersection on July 23, the second fatality this year. Palsitt’s death prompted both an online petition campaign demanding immediate safety measures for the intersection as well as a letter writing campaign, noted by Jacobs, called ‘Project Annya’.
So far, the online petition has garnered 4,500 signatures, while another letter demanding action on the intersection was unanimously approved by Lamont County council Aug. 12 to be sent to Minister Dreeshen.
Jacobs, who also works with youth for Lamont County’s FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) said she spent time with Palsitt running summer camps over the month of July, including the day of her death.
“Annya worked for FCSS and we were working out of the Bruderheim arena with our youth of Bruderheim when this happened. She was hands-on with it this year,” said Jacobs, choking back tears.
“Anya planned to attend the University of Alberta to pursue Elementary Education. She loved children, and would have been an amazing teacher.”
Jacobs said that although the province has installed signage and increased RCMP enforcement at the intersection over the past few years, it has been insufficient to stop the frequency of serious accidents.
“There’s been a lot of accidents at this intersection (and) a lot of deaths. They (the province) are going to look into it, but I’d like to get the ball rolling and see what we can do to help this,” she said.
In an earlier email from Minister Dreeshen’s office responding to questions from the Lamont Leader, press secretary Husam Khalo said traffic lights and speed limits would only increase safety risks for drivers at the intersection and the province will continue to monitor the traffic volumes and collision data while assessing a recent functional planning study done for a possible interchange.
M e a n w h i l e , Bruderheim council unanimously approved the letter urging action be sent to MLA Homeniuk and Minister Dreeshen.
