OTTAWA, July 13, 2017 - Operation Lifesaver (OL), a national organization dedicated to promoting rail safety, today announced a new partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), to raise awareness about rail safety in indigenous communities across Canada.
Every year, dozens of Canadians – especially young Canadians – are killed or injured when they put themselves in unsafe situations around railway tracks and trains. These incidents are devastating for the individuals involved, their friends and family, railway employees, first responders and communities.
“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the CCAB and its members,” said Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver. “Rail lines run through indigenous communities across this country. With the help of CCAB partners like the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network – which donated airtime for our public service announcement – we’re ensuring that our safety message is reaching them.”
“As a national organization, CCAB welcomes Operation Lifesaver as an important new member whose work is building safer communities. Rail safety across our Indigenous communities, and a country as vast and geographically challenging as Canada, is a huge but necessary task if it means saving lives. CCAB looks forward to working with Operation Lifesaver to share and promote the work they do through our national membership and networks in the years ahead,” said JP Gladu, CCAB President & CEO.
In April, OL launched its new Look. Listen. Live. rail safety public-awareness campaign featuring two virtual-reality videos that immerse viewers in a 3D environment and allow them experience the actual dangers of trespassing on rail property or driving their cars around lowered crossing gates. Visitors to LookListenLive.ca are asked to make a rail safety pledge, share the videos and other messaging on social media using the hashtags #LOOKLISTENLIVE and #SHARETHESCARE, and engage in conversations about rail safety with their friends, family and community members. They are also invited to follow OL on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date on the latest rail safety news.
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a national public rail-safety program sponsored by Transport Canada, the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CP, VIA Rail, AMT, Metrolinx and Genesee & Wyoming, among others. Through partnerships with safety councils, police, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver works to save lives by educating Canadians about the hazards of rail crossings and trespassing on railway property.
About the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is committed to the full participation of Aboriginal peoples in Canada’s economy. A national non-profit, non-partisan association, CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal owned companies that foster economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and businesses across Canada.
https://www.ccab.com/