INNISFAIL – Town council received a welcomed presentation by Canadian Pacific (CP) last week as both sides had a chance to meet in-person to mutually express satisfaction about the success of the pedestrian rail crossing near the Innisfail Schools Campus.
Mike LoVecchio, CP’s director of Indigenous relations and government, told council at its Agenda & Priorities meeting on March 7 he was pleased how CP has worked with the town over the past four years, and what has been accomplished.
Council was told that prior to his presentation, LoVecchio -- who last visited Innisfail four years ago -- took a look at the recently completed pedestrian crossing by the Innisfail Schools Campus.
“That was a lot of work by a lot of people and a lot of money. I want to acknowledge the effort by town staff. The work that was done there was really good,” said LoVecchio, adding the company’s current project by Bilton Welding and Manufacturing Ltd. is “midway” completed with the track in place and soon to bring additional economic opportunities to the town.
“We are really in a good spot as far as I am concerned with the town, and that is a credit to people around this room and the staff.”
Following his 14-minute presentation, which began with CP’s safety performance, LoVecchio took questions from council, which included one on train speeds in rural communities and another about the proposed passenger rail service though the Edmonton–Calgary corridor that is being initiated by Airdrie-based Alberta Regional Rail Inc. (ARRI).
“In the case of the group going around from community to community between Calgary and Edmonton we’ve had no such proposal from them,” said LoVecchio of ARRI, whose representatives recently pitched Innisfail council of their plans. “They haven’t approached us with a proposal. I can’t really give you any sort of informed opinion on what they were saying because they are not talking to us.”
Mayor Jean Barclay told LoVecchio that Innisfail RCMP Const. Craig Nelson, the detachment’s community schools resource officer, recently told Rotary Club of Innisfail members the $600,000 pedestrian crossing project was a “godsend” to the community.”
“I know feedback from the community I have received with respect to the pedestrian crossing is that it’s going very well, and that they are glad it’s providing more safety for kids in particular crossing over the tracks,” said Barclay.
The following day Nelson, while attending a Grade 5 D.A.R.E. graduation at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School, told the Albertan, that safety has finally arrived for the town’s children since the pedestrian crossing at White Rock Crossing was completed last fall.
“That was one of the issues I noticed right away when I got to town about five years ago. I was noticing our kids crossing the tracks illegally,” said Nelson, noting that while education was soon introduced to the kids on the dangers of using the unregulated crossing there was much more that needed to be done. “It became obvious very shortly that we needed to make it legal for them to cross there by creating a pedestrian crossing.”
Nelson said a plan was created by a group of partners, including the RCMP, CP and the town, to make a legal pedestrian crossing with a trail.
“I was so impressed that it moved as relatively quickly as it did once we got momentum going on the project,” said Nelson. “Once it got started it just rolled all the way through, and it’s completed now. It was the best option we had in order to enhance safety and to give a legal location to kids to cross the tracks so they can get home with the shortest and most reasonable route.
“And what we’ve noticed is that everybody is using it.”
Nelson said local law enforcement is still monitoring the White Rock Crossing to ensure safety.
