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IQALUIT
The issue of pedestrian safety was brought to the forefront in Iqaluit last week after an accident in which a four-year-old was hit by a vehicle near the Arctic Ventures Marketplace on July 29.

The boy later died as a result of his injuries. Longtime Iqaluit resident Nola Peter said she believes parents were more strict when she was growing up, which lead to increased vigilance and safety precautions.

"It was very different back then because now, children can do whatever they want," she said.

"Our parents would let us play in the road, but they would tell us to be cautious. Every time a vehicle stopped near us, someone would tell us to stop playing in the middle of the road."

Peter, who has three children of her own, said she has adopted the same prudent approach with them.

Iqaluit city Councilor Roman Stevenson said pedestrian safety has always been an important issue and the city takes those responsibilities seriously.

He said, unfortunately, there isn't a cookie-cutter solution to the situation.

"I know it strikes fear in me when I see kids playing on the busy streets or by the breakwater as the boats and trailers try to come in and out," Stevenson stated in an e-mail.

"I also see kids biking without helmets and taking jumps that have them landing in the middle of the roads. Children need to be warned, and warned again about street safety and a wary respect for vehicles, but drivers also need to realize that stopping at stop signs and going the speed limit is not enough."

Iqaluit taxi driver Michel Lavoie, who used to be a driving instructor, said the drivers are mostly to blame.

The problem, according to him, lies with drivers who are ignoring pedestrians.

"They don't stop for them," he said. "I see kids from a mile away when I'm driving and you need to be vigilant everywhere. The chief municipal enforcement officer needs to hand out more tickets to drivers who don't obey the rules of the road."

Stevenson echoed Lavoie statements, adding it's important for drivers to be aware and anticipate actions that could cause similar tragedies.

Noah Patisserie, Nunavut's first recipient of a guide dog, has lived in Iqaluit his entire life. He credits the posts – which divide roads from the makeshift sidewalks – with increasing pedestrian safety in the city.

"I'm sure those posts have saved more lives because awareness used to be the issue and putting them up was a good turn for safety," he said.

"To me, they are very useful because they act as sidewalks for me. I get nervous walking around at times, but I have to rely on my hearing to find the right way."

The accident involving the young boy is still under investigation and the RCMP is not talking about the circumstances that led up to it, such as whether the child was accompanied, how fast the driver was going or if any charges will be laid.

Lorna Gee, director of the motor vehicles division for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, said various changes to the Nunavut Motor Vehicles Act are in the works.

"We're looking at making important amendments to the act to improve road safety such as a community safety zone, a graduated driver's license program and regulation of construction vehicles," she said.

"One of the members of our department is on the Standing Committee on Road Safety Research and Policies and we get a lot of information through them that we can use."

According to Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics, released in 2009, Nunavut had the highest rate of fatalities per 100,000 licensed drivers at 44.7.

The next highest was the NWT at 20.5 and the lowest was Ontario, at 5.9.

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