Municipal Rail Safety

The amount of freight shipped by rail has increased significantly in the past few years. In western Canada railways are carrying our natural resources such as oil, gas, agriculture, and potash, to far away markets. We as a region and Saskatchewan in particular are producing more.


Looking West from the Bunkhouse Area

Because of the increased amount of freight the likelihood of an incident increases. The unfortunate incident in Quebec is one such example. Further, the rail incident in Calgary with the dangling rail car is another example of increased risks.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), of which the Town of Kindersley is a member, is working to increase rail safety in municipalities. FCM has identified three priority areas.

1. Equip and support municipal first responders to rail emergencies:

• Municipalities need to know what dangerous goods are being transported through their communities so local services can plan and respond effectively to emergencies.
• Railways and federal agencies cannot plan for emergencies alone. Local governments and authorities must be involved as partners in emergency planning.

2. Ensure federal and industry policies and regulations address the rail safety concerns of municipalities:

• At the local level, rail incidents can have significant impacts on public safety, the economy and the environment.
• Municipal concerns must be included in federal government risk assessment and policy development on rail safety.

3. Prevent downloading of rail safety and emergency response costs to municipal taxpayers:

• Third-party liability insurance systems must be strengthened to prevent the downloading of liability costs on municipal taxpayers, even in the event of bankruptcies.