A half-a-million-dollar funding announcement for St. Albert is raising a few eyebrows and is now the focus of debate about the need for a rail-fence project in the community.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi joined a group of dignitaries, including Mayor Cathy Heron, at an outdoor photo-op in the city on Aug. 27 to tout the $3.3 million in federal grant money for 18 railway safety projects across the province.
St. Albert is the recipient of a grant of $500,000 that will be used to erect a chain-link fence along an 8.3-kilometre corridor of Canadian National Railway Co. tracks that runs through the northwest area of the city.
Given the significant cost of the local project, it would suggest that those who trespass are a major, ongoing problem for CN and the city.
However, there have been no train-pedestrian collisions reported in recent years and near-misses don’t appear to be an issue locally since railway representatives haven’t approached the media to raise trespassing concerns or unveil an awareness campaign to curb the illegal activity. Those are typical company moves used to draw attention to a problem.
So why is the city determined to build a fence – one at least six feet tall with a hefty price tag – along the tracks, especially when only four CN trains a day travel through St. Albert?
City officials continue to say improving safety along the rail corridor is paramount. Keeping people and wildlife off the tracks is a key priority for council. It has been a major focus since a municipal study on railway safety upgrades was conducted in 2015. Fencing was among the top priorities that resulted from that study.
A CN spokeswoman said in an email on Wednesday that while statistics relating to trespassing in St. Albert weren’t available, the railway backs the city’s effort to improve safety.
“Any instance of trespassing on railroad tracks or equipment is illegal and dangerous. We work with communities, law enforcement agencies and educational organizations across Canada to increase awareness of the dangers of trespassing and support any efforts to advance our shared responsibility of rail safety,” Kate Fenske wrote.
There are less expensive ways to try to discourage residents from crossing the tracks, including the installation of “no trespassing” signs as some St. Albertans were quick to point out following last week’s announcement.
Others have expressed concern that the city isn’t making good use of federal taxpayers’ money, squandering the opportunity to get Ottawa to pump money into necessary upgrades of existing infrastructure that will be beneficial for all residents.
They have a point. It’s not every day that a federal politician turns up in St. Albert with a $500,000 cheque.
Without a rash of trespassing incidents or even one close call with a pedestrian to warrant a fence, installing a costly structure along the CN rail line seems ill-conceived.
