Rail Safety Contest Launched

OTTAWA - The second annual Direction 2006 Railway Safety Poster Contest in Aboriginal/First Nations Communities across Canada has been launched. Bill Law, contest coordinator, said all artwork is to be submitted to Operation Lifesaver by May 9.

“We want to start a discussion and build awareness about railway safety in Aboriginal/First Nations communities. Many of them are made up of both Aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples who have a unique interaction with the railways across Canada,” said Sgt. Law who directs the CPR Police community services unit. Approximately 100 people are killed and 75 seriously injured in highway/railway crossing collisions and from train/pedestrian incidents annually.

The contest was initiated last year with the assistance of First Nations Police Services, and is open to all young people in Grades 4 to 9 who participate in youth groups and school classes in these communities.

Contest information is now being widely distributed through police, safety and community groups, and through partners’ websites. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning entries from students in Grades 4 to 6 and from senior students in Grades 7 to 9. As well, there will be awards for supporting teacher, school and community groups. Further details are available at www.direction2006.com or at www.operationlifesaver.ca websites.

Operation Lifesaver is a government-industry-community public education and safety program, co-sponsored by the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada to reduce unnecessary deaths and injuries along the railway tracks. The program has successfully helped reduce highway-railway crossing collisions and trespasser incidents by 60 per cent since its’ founding in 1981. Direction 2006 is a special public/private partnership to drive those numbers down further and faster, by another 50 per cent by the end of the year 2006.

Contact Information:

William J. Law
CPR Police Service
Direction 2006 Aboriginal / First Nations Railway Safety
416-696-6596 or bill_law@cpr.ca

Jonathan Massey-Smith
Transport Canada
613-990-6721 or masseyj@tc.gc.ca

Madalina Carlea
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
819-997-8402 or carleam@inac.gc.ca

Roger Cameron
Direction 2006 Communications/ Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8097 or rogerc@railcan.ca.

Document(s):

Click here to download the Booklet in PDF ( 342 KB )
Click here to download the Poster in PDF ( 368 KB )