A $300 fine shouldn't the main deterrent for area residents to avoid trespassing across CN railway tracks.
CN Police Const. Dean Solowan says this year's awareness campaign across the Lakeland is rolling out — and he hopes more people will train themselves to be more educated around the train tracks that criss-cross many communities in northern Alberta.
Part of that outreach plan, says Solowan, is a social media campaign using local media to inform the residents in the communities about the dangers associated with railway tracks, train yards and rail crossings.
Solowan says it's not just for motorists or school children, farmers or pedestrians in urban centres — it's for anyone who may come into contact with rail infrastructure.
"CN Police are working with Operation Lifesaver to promote railway safety through education in your community," says Solowan, who has been to Lac La Biche several times, mainly in area schools where he teaches local youngsters about the importance of rail safety education.
Solowan says he is familiar with the layout of the Lac La Biche hamlet — with train track running through the middle of it. While he realizes that the tracks can be a nuisance to pedestrians trying to cross from one side the community to another — he says people need to better understand that the stakes are too high to be taking the risky shortcut.
Of the 73 incidents reported from across Canada to the Transport Safety Board of Canada from January to May of this year, 22 were from Alberta, resulting in seven deaths and five serious injuries. The Alberta statistics put province at the top of the list so far for serious incidents. Last year, the TSB reported 230 serious incidents involving railways, resulting in the loss of 66 lives — 11 in Alberta In the last five years, there have ben a reported 223 people killed across Canada — 45 in Alberta — at train crossings or trespassing across train tracks.
Solowan says signage at the tracks and community education needs to be taken seriously.
The Operation Lifesaver program has a lot of information Solowan hopes all community members will look at.
"There are a lot of links, and we hope people will take a good look at it," he told the POST last week.
Rail Safety Resources
https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/resources/statistics/
https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/initiatives/look-listen-live/will-you-hear-it/
https://www.facebook.com/oplifesaver/photos/a.212916245394816/3308537905832619/?type=3&theater
