LAC LA BICHE - Walking over railway tracks at anywhere but a designated crossing, or crawling underneath rail-cars in Lac La Biche's CN rail yard is not only dangerous, but also an illegal act that carries a $600 fine.
This was the message CN Rail Police constable Dean Solowan was getting across to students at schools in Lac La Biche on Wednesday and Thursday. Solowan hopes the message goes from the kids to families, and reduces the amount of people in the community who illegally cross the tracks every day.
Solowan spoke at Vera M. Welsh Elementary School, Aurora Middle School, and Light of Christ Catholic School in a series of safety and awareness presentations. The long-time CN Police officer is also community resource officer and frequently visits schools to educate students about railway safety.
In a community like Lac La Biche, where the rail yard and active railway tracks split the townsite, the message takes on more significance. Solowan says interaction with the railway is a daily part of life for many in the community. He says people can get used to the tracks and maybe don’t realize the dangers — or the legalities — of being near the rail lines.
“Many people don’t realize but trespassing on railway tracks is illegal and you could get a provincial trespass ticket valued at $600,” he stated.
Just a few years ago, during the last community awareness visit, tickets were at $387. The higher fine is hoped to deter people from taking what could be a dangerous and costly shortcut.
Because Solowan addresses classes of children and youth ranging from kindergarten to high school, he relates the information differently depending upon which age group he’s speaking to – but the basic message remains the same.
“I tell them in its early stages that it’s against the law to trespass on government property,” adding that when minors are caught trespassing on railway tracks, by law, parents and legal guardians must be notified.
In addition to students, Solowan spends time with school bus drivers and commercial truck drivers when he is in a community. He also has presentation packages for off-highway vehicle riders and first responders.
“We have to remember everyone will have to go over the tracks at one point or another… whether you’re a motorist or pedestrian…I want people to make an educated safe choice. That split second decision can alter their life forever,” he said.
Train towns like Lac La Biche
According to Solowan, communities that have a denser population around railway tracks tend to have a higher trespass concern. This is especially true if a particular community develops around a railway and does not take proximity issues into consideration during the development stages.
CN Rail has been driving home the message about the dangers of trespassing on railway property through a combination of education and enforcement. According to Solowan, CN works closely with Operation Lifesaver Canada, which uses the theme that "Anytime is Train Time." In recent years, the national initiative has designed ‘Look.Listen.Live.’ decals that municipalities can stencil on sidewalks or pavement near railway crossings. The bright yellow and black decals serve as a reminder to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists about the importance of being vigilant before crossing railway tracks.
One of those thermal decals was applied by Lac La Biche Transportation Services at the 103rd Street rail crossing and funded by Operation Lifesaver Canada. Solowan said they are a great way to get the message across at ground level.
“They prove to be effective as it is another way to heighten a crossing through awareness which will hopefully deter a wrong choice to be made with a train present,” he said.
While the education is a community effort, so is the enforcement. Solowan says railway police won't immediately be issuing tickets for one-time trespass infractions — depending on the situation — but that grace period will not extend to repeat offenders and anyone caught climbing over or under train cars. He also says that local police can offer warnings and issue tickets if they see anyone cutting through the rail yard or over the tracks.
Not all the incidents take place within the urban areas, said Solowan, so all trains are equipped with video recording devices to assist in investigations along the hundreds of kilometres of track through the Lac La Biche area.
He hopes the messages taught this week in school classrooms will make their way through the community, informing people and keeping community members safe.
In Lac La Biche, he says he’s likely given the train-talk to the parents of the current students when they were in school. While the faces have changed, the message hasn’t.
According to Solowan, every year, approximately 2,100 people are seriously injured or killed due to making the wrong choices around trains or on railway property.
“Almost every one of these incidents is preventable and education is the key,” he said.
