INNISFAIL - The town is determined to seek funding help from senior levels of government for a solution to the deepening local concern over community rail safety, notably at the controversial White Rock Crossing.
"We definitely want to move forward. The RCMP is very concerned about it and of course so are we. We've got to make some decisions here," said Mayor Jim Romane.
Most recently, as reported last week by the Province, there is increasing alarm with RCMP and Canadian Pacific (CP) Police over recent incidents with young students playing dangerous games with moving trains. Most incidents are occurring at the unregulated White Rock Crossing area, which is located near the intersection of 52nd and 54th avenues. The area is crossed by up to 200 citizens every weekday during the school year, mostly young students.
"Apparently there is some federal money that is available. We are looking at all options. It is in the preliminary stages right now," said Romane of the town's efforts to find a safety solution for White Rock Crossing, "Let's see what we can come up with."
Todd Becker, the town's chief administrative officer, said last week that work towards reducing the risk at White Rock Crossing is ongoing, including continued conversations with CP and RCMP.
"There's not much to confirm about yet, likely not until closer to the fall I will be honest with you. I am thinking more Septemberish," said Becker. "We are still gathering information. Conversations are ongoing outside of the chambers, no question about that."
He said part of the work the town is now undertaking is exploring grant opportunities from senior levels of government.
"Are there dollars available to help place infrastructure adjacent to the (railway) right-of-way for public safety? That is all the work we are doing now. It is still too preliminary to really discuss. We are doing our research currently at the moment," he said.
Becker did not say which specific programs he's looking at but last summer the federal government announced it was investing more than $20 million for 105 new projects and initiatives under the Rail Safety Improvement Program. Those initiatives include improved lighting, upgraded rail crossing signals, pedestrian overpasses, public education and research into new safety technologies.
For 2019-20 the federal government announced an investment of $16.5 million on 136 projects across the country under the same program. One of those projects was an investment of $1 million on rail safety improvements in Moncton, N.B., including upgrades to a downtown crossing that was recommended after a man in a motorized wheelchair was killed by a train in 2016.
