Toronto families were smiling from ear to ear on Saturday, July 19
th, as they attended the First Annual Rail Safety Day at the
Toronto Railway Museum.
This free event was jam-packed with railway-related activities for the whole family. The museum opened its doors free of charge so that rail fans could take in all things trains. Giggles and smiles ensued as kids rode the
Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway, a passenger-carrying miniature live steam railway. GO Transit brought one of their busses along with the GO Transit Bear, who entertained more than just kids with hugs and high fives, dancing around and taking pictures. And Operation Lifesaver was on hand to make sure rail safety fun was on the agenda, handing out our popular
“Train your Brain” activity books and
rail safety handouts to kids and their parents. We also donated two bikes, which were awarded as prizes for a scavenger hunt (get the details and check out the list of winners below).
The event, organized by GO Transit and Metrolinx, had a fantastic show of support for its first year.
“We are thrilled with this year’s attendance and support from our partners. It’s a great opportunity to come and spread the important message of rail safety to the public,” said Peter Mohyla, a transit safety officer with GO Transit.
Partners in rail safety
Rail Safety Day was a combined effort of a number of safety partners. GO Transit, Metrolinx, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, UP Express, Bombardier, VIA Rail Canada, MADD, Parachute, CN Police, Toronto Fire Service, Toronto Police Services, Ministry of Transport Ontario and Transport Canada were all in attendance to share an important rail-safety message.
“Without the support of our partners and volunteers, we couldn’t have had made the first Rail Safety Day such a success,” said Peter.
“Thank you to everyone who participated, including our partners and volunteers. Let’s keep the momentum of this year’s event going by continuing to spread the rail safety message. We will see you next year!”
And the Rail Safety Day winners are…
The highlight of Rail Safety Day was a scavenger hunt that saw participants visiting every display, passport in hand, and correctly answering a series of questions using information they found. By doing so, they were entered to win one of four bikes – two donated by Operation Lifesaver and two by Teamsters Canada Rail Conference! Congratulations to the winners:
- Makenna M. (Women’s bike)
- Justin L. (Men’s bike)
- Melanie S. for Logan (Boy’s bike)
- Klepa D. (Girl’s bike)
Catch a glimpse of Rail Safety Day in action in this
awesome photo album.
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