What began as a single Facebook post has grown into a grassroots movement calling for urgent safety changes at the intersection of Highway 12 and Lutheran Road.
Martensville resident Debra “Debbs” Kulcsar created the group the day after a tragic collision at the intersection claimed the life of a 28-year-old man from Saskatoon on June 10th. The collision involved a car and a truck, and the driver, and sole occupant of the car was transported to hospital where he was later declared deceased. The driver of the truck was also transported to hospital with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening in nature.
“This intersection has seen far too many collisions, and I felt it was time for the community to come together and call for change,” Kulcsar said. “I wanted to create a platform where people could share their stories, voice their concerns, and work collectively to advocate for meaningful safety improvements.”
From the start, the goals were clear: build a strong, united voice that could bring people together to advocate for change. “I wanted to make sure our collective voice would be heard by decision-makers, so they understand how important it is to make this intersection, and others along the corridor, safer for everyone,” Kulcsar explained.
Additionally, there was hope that an immediate short-term solution could be found to help reduce accidents, and work toward a permanent, long-term fix.
The community response has been swift. The group, ‘Change the intersection at Hwy 12 and Lutheran Road’, now has nearly 600 members, with local businesses helping to spread the word by allowing Kulcsar to display flyers.
“More support is always welcome,” Kulcsar said. “This is an issue that affects all communities along Highway 12. The more people involved, the stronger our voice will be.”
Ideas for improvements have been flowing in from members, ranging from quick, low-cost fixes to more comprehensive infrastructure changes. Kulcsar has presented these suggestions directly to local and provincial leaders, including Martensville Mayor Kent Muench, Martensville City Councillor Brad Blixt, RM of Corman Park Reeve Joe Hargrave, RM Councillor Steve Balzer, Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) Executive Director Rebecca Row, as well as representatives from SGI. Kulcsar also contacted MLA Jamie Martens, whose office replied, stating that Martens, along with Minister of Highways David Marit, have both acknowledged the concerns and committed to monitoring the situation.
According to Kulscar, the conversations have been encouraging. “I’m incredibly grateful that so many representatives have been willing to speak with me and listen to the suggestions brought forward by group members. We’ve started a great dialogue, and it’s encouraging to see a shared commitment to making meaningful improvements. The willingness to engage has been very positive and gives me hope that real progress is on the horizon.”
“Both the City of Martensville and RM of Corman Park representatives have been supportive and open to hearing ideas from our group,” Kulcsar noted. “When I spoke with Reeve Joe Hargrave, he expressed optimism that a short-term solution would be implemented by early fall. For now, we are waiting to see how those plans progress.”
Kulcsar says she will follow up if no action is taken by mid-September, in order to keep the momentum going. In the meantime, the group will continue to raise awareness, grow support, and share updates with the community.
Once a short-term solution is in place, the goal is to focus on working with government officials to push for a permanent, long-term answer and advocate for improvements at other high-risk intersections along the Highways 12 corridor.
“This is about building a culture of safety and accountability in our region,” Kulcsar said. “We all use these roads, parents, students, farmers, commuters. Everyone deserves to travel safely, and that starts with recognizing where change is needed and working together to make that happen. We are not here to point fingers. We are here to partner with leaders, work constructively, and help move things forward. This group is proof that when communities care, real progress is possible.”
Those interested in joining the conversation or lending their support can find the group on Facebook by searching ‘Change the intersection at Hwy 12 and Lutheran Road’.
ABOVE: A group of concerned residents start a grassroots movement about the amount of accidents occuring at the intersection of Highway 12 and Lutheran Road.
