In light of the recent trail derailment in Quebec, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley is sharing his concerns about the safety of the railway system and the effectiveness of current regulations.
Bradley remembers when multiple trains derailed in the city in 2002 and has been calling for tougher regulations ever since.
“There needs to be a commitment by the federal government to say, ‘Yes, rail is vitally important to the economy of this country, but we're going to make sure it is the safest rail system in the world.’ That is not there today.”
Trains travelling through Sarnia often carry flammable chemicals and there are growing concerns an explosion similar to the one that that rocked Lac-Megantic could happen.
“If you look at the issue that's happened in Quebec, the oil cars being used were of the old design, but there are new designs that could have perhaps prevented this tragedy.”
Mary Caron has lived by the tracks near the chemical refinery in Sarnia for ten years and agrees that more needs to be done.
“A little bit more thinking over it and organizing, and making sure they’re on the right tracks, that’s what my worry is.”
The train yard in Sarnia is among the largest in Ontario, second only to Toronto, and carries a lot of provincial, national and international traffic daily.
And Bradley thinks the lack of attention to train safety is a nation-wide problem.
“We've had major incidences, just look across the country in the last year or so - in the west, in the east - that have led to deaths, which have led to very negative impacts on communities. That's not good enough and that's what we need to resolve.”
But as politicians continue to debate whether regulation changes are needed, those who live along the tracks watch trains pass each day and wonder about their safety.
