When it comes to preventing track tragedies, municipal leadership is critical.
That is a point we make whenever we can. And, thankfully, it’s a call that most municipal leaders – elected and non – step up to answer enthusiastically.
In conversations at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ annual conference, provincial municipal associations’ meetings, and those of Canada’s police chiefs, most everyone seems to get it: they have a role to play.
More than 100 municipalities now take part in the Look. Listen. Live. Partnership Program. Each has worked with us and the local railway(s) to install decals or signage to make residents safer at crossings.
Municipalities including the cities of Edmonton (Alberta), Sherbooke (Quebec), towns like Parry Sound (Ontario), Lamont and Camrose counties (Alberta), and others all have had their local councils proclaim Rail Safety Week in their communities.
Crossing safety is a live concern day in, day out in towns and cities across Canada, and rail safety issues will only take on more prominence as our urban centres intensify and pursue policies like transit-oriented development.
That is why Operation Lifesaver Canada is so supportive of the Railway Association of Canada’s ongoing refresh of the Proximity Guidelines, last reviewed in 2013. This modernization initiative will balance growth and safety, and we hope even more municipalities will adopt the guidelines once reviewed.
There is no doubt that Canada’s municipalities are dealing with some of the biggest issues of our time. Indeed, they are on the front lines of issues like housing affordability and suitability, homelessness, and the crises of mental health and addiction.
The guidelines, to be finalized this fall, can help cities address those issues while growing in ways that keep people safe.
Earlier this summer, we were grateful that the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario reversed course on a plan to lodge people experiencing homelessness in temporary shelters within 100 metres of a Class 1 mainline that runs 24/7/365.
This idea, while well-meaning, would only have put more people at risk of rail incidents – risks we raised in letters to councillors, the mayor, and the city manager. We are thankful that they listened and found another spot for people to go.
We appreciate the ongoing dialogue with municipalities. Our partnership and collaboration with cities and towns are just one reason amongst many that incidents of trespassing and at road-railway crossings are down almost 80 percent since Operation Lifesaver Canada was founded nearly 45 years ago.
We have yet to fully eliminate preventable track tragedies. So, our work together continues.
On Saturday, September 20, 2025, OL Canada will announce the latest municipal winner of the Roger Cyr Award for extraordinary contributions to rail safety in Canada.
