Man's death at rural Manitoba railway crossing prompts calls for safety changes
The death of a man killed in a weekend train collision has prompted calls for more safety features at rural railway crossings.
Outside La Broquerie, a railway crossing without arms or lights at a hill with trees blocking the view of oncoming trains is one of many rural railway crossings that is prompting concerns.
"When I have grandkids getting to start driving next year, it’s something that really frightens me," said Cyndy Peters, whose grandchildren live near the crossing.
At another crossing south of La Broquerie, RCMP say a 42-year-old man from Richer, Man. died after his vehicle and a train collided Sunday.
The crossing did not have arms or lights. Mounties believe slippery conditions were a factor.
The man who died has been identified as Brent Wery, who is being remembered as a volunteer firefighter and dedicated public servant.
Condolence posts online from the organizations Wery worked and volunteered for, including the Richer Fire Department, recall his giving nature.
“The most giving type of individual you’d probably ever meet," David Reith, the deputy fire chief with the Richer Fire Department, told CTV News. "The true give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back kind of guy. He’d do absolutely anything to help anybody.”
Ivan Normandeau, the reeve of La Broquerie, said the rural municipality tries to make the crossings as safe as possible.
“Our biggest thing is people’s safety," he said. "As soon as we have a snowfall, obviously, the first thing we do is clear the snow and right after the snow is cleared then we make sure that we sand all intersections, which includes railway crossings."
Normandeau said there are six railway crossings without lights or arms in the rural municipality. He said Transport Canada has rules on which crossings get the added safety equipment.
“It’s not our decision. It is up to Transport Canada. I believe they will pay 80 per cent for lights and then we pay 20 per cent, but it’s their decision depending on how much traffic there is.”
Normandeau said most people in the community know where the crossings are, and incidents are rare.
He said there have been no complaints about the crossing where the fatal collision happened.
CTV News has reached out to Transport Canada, but has not yet heard back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.