Heather Latter
Local port
among
the busiest
Given that the rail port here recently has been designated as the busiest in North America, local CN police officer Cst. Pete LeDrew is reinforcing the importance of rail safety within the community.
“There has definitely been an increase in train traffic here,” he noted, saying this is due to overseas shipments travelling from Prince Rupert, B.C. through our local port to Chicago.
“This is definitely one of the key points within the country,” echoed CN Police Inspector Shawn Will of Winnipeg.
“Fort Frances is very important to the railway and also the safety in the community is also very important,” he stressed.
Cst. LeDrew said 2011 was a busy year for trespassing on CN Rail property, with some specific incidences as of late.
“The public every day interacts in some way with the railway, whether they are going over crossings or being stopped at crossings by trains,” Insp. Will said.
“And we don’t want people going into the areas not designated for public use.”
Cst. LeDrew noted that having been stationed in Fort Frances now for 10 years, trespassing has declined.
“But it seems to be a trend where kids and parents are continuing to trespass in the east end of town and this has been a problem,” he remarked, adding the big trend he’s seeing is with people climbing through trains.
“It has really been noticeable in the last year and there’s an absolute zero tolerance for any trespassing by climbing through trains or riding trains,” he stressed.
Cst. LeDrew also noted there still are issues with trespassing in the west end of town, from Portage Avenue to McIrvine Road.
“In the winter months, it’s more evident because you can see all the footprints where people are crossing,” he said.
He added snowmobiles riding between Crowe Avenue and Williams Avenue have not been sticking to the designated trails.
“There is a lot of equipment and switches that line the tracks and they’re snowmobiling right along the tracks,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt,” he warned.
And Cst. LeDrew stressed it can be very dangerous for pedestrians cutting across the tracks, especially in the winter.
“If you step on a rail, you can slip and fall,” he said, adding another dangerous factor is that between Portage Avenue and Crowe Avenue, the rail is on a curve.
“So when the trains are coming in or departing, there is a long curve so they can’t see if anyone is there,” he explained while reminding people that the Victoria Avenue crossing is an emergency crossing only.
The only places vehicles and pedestrians legally can cross the tracks are at McIrvine Road, Portage Avenue, Williams Avenue, and Pither’s Point Park.
“Our ultimate goal is to get people using the safe spots to cross and to not put their lives in danger,” Insp. Will remarked.
Cst. LeDrew indicated a lot of people have been warned about trespassing and it’s getting to the point where people are going to start being ticketed.
Under the Trespass to Property Act, there is a $50 fine, plus a victim surcharge, bringing the total to $65.
Then under the Federal Rail and Safety Act, there is another $125 fine.
In addition, trespassing also is an arrestable offence.
Cst. LeDrew said students in Grades 7 and 8 across the district will be targeted with the safety message this year, with members of the community, such as the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) group, being trained to deliver presentations to the younger students.
His job is to ensure rail safety within the community.
“To some people, it may not seem like an important issue,” said Insp. Will.
“But every time he stops someone, whether he’s talking to them or it results in a ticket, he’s educating that person to hopefully not do it again, which will subsequently end up saving their lives down the road and the lives of other people.
“As we get the message out there, we can continue moving in the right direction towards safety,” he added.
Cst. LeDrew will be reaching out to all partners within the community to get them involved in promoting and practising rail safety.
“Working together, hopefully we can save somebody’s life,” he said.
