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A Highway to Healing walk this weekend saw people come out to support Saskatchewan families grieving after two fatal crashes within hours of each other on Highway 4 earlier this month.
On July 5, a 48-year-old woman, and two boys aged 5 and 6 died in a collision between a truck and a van south of Cochin, just north of North Battleford. They were all from Flying Dust First Nation.
Less than three hours later a collision between a motorhome and SUV killed a 29-year-old woman and a six-month-old boy from Red Pheasant First Nation.
The walk was held in two parts over two days, with Saturday’s participants walking for more than six hours to cover 33 kilometres from Cochin to North Battleford.
Sunday the group headed from North Battleford and travelled just over 17 kilometres to the Red Pheasant crash site.
Memorial crosses were placed at both crash sites.
Highway to Healing organizer Krista Fox with the memorial crosses placed at both crash sites on Highway 4. (Krista Fox/Submitted)
‘I know the pain’
Krista Fox and her boss Michael Collins helped organize the walk.
The deaths hit Fox particularly hard because she personally knows the family of the Red Pheasant victims.
“On July 5 our community was hit really hard with two accidents. One going to the north on highway 4 and the second one going south. In the north accident, we lost a kokum and her two grandchildren, who were five and six years old.
“In the south one we lost a beautiful young mother and her six-month-old baby. And her three-year-old son is in Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital still fighting for his life,” Fox told 980 CJME.
“About a week ago I woke up one morning and I just felt compelled to do something. I don’t have a lot to offer but I know that I do have two feet and a heartbeat. So that morning I walked into work and I said, ‘I have an idea’.”
The support for her idea from Collins was immediate and heartfelt.
“The reason why I am so passionate about this walk is because my wife had died from an accident on the highway. This was about six years ago,” Collins told 980 CJME.
“Now I am a single father raising two children by myself, and I just want to do as much as I can for the people that lost their family members. I know the pain and I know everything that follows with it. I am walking with my whole heart, and glad to be doing it with Krista.”
Krista Fox and her boss Michael Collins helped organize the walk. (Krista Fox/submitted)
First responders affected
Fox made a Facebook post telling people about the walk, which was seen by an RCMP member.
“I had a couple calls from the RCMP, which kind of panics you at first because you wonder why are they calling?” Fox said.
“But when I returned the call it was an officer with RCMP but on the day of the accident he was actually with the Meota volunteer fire department and he was the first person on the scene. I could hear and feel the sense of pain in his voice.”
Collins said first responders were especially affected by the tragedies.
“We wanted to start in Cochin to bring awareness to that community over. They had a lot of first responders that were affected by it. We invited them out. They’re guiding us, as well as Mosquito Grizzly Bear First Nation. They’re helping us with the walk as well. We have the police and some of the CSOs from that community as well. ”
“We want to include everybody. We want anybody that’s been affected by losing a family member on a highway to come out and join us so they can help heal as well.”
The group were farewelled by an Elder on Saturday before setting off for North Battleford.
“She did some very heartfelt teachings. She prayed with us to make sure that we were safe,” Fox said, adding she also had the opportunity to share the woman’s warrior song “to help give us strength and also give strength to the families.”
“We’re hoping that with each step we put in that it’s one step closer to our families and their healing journey,” she said.
On Sunday the groups was carrying a donation box on their journey.
“If people want to come stop by and donate any money we’re going to split that between the two families. All proceeds will go to them. If they can’t show up to the walk they can reach out to me or Krista on Facebook as well,” Collins said.
-with files from 980 CJME’s Nicole Garn
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