A presentation for Manitoba’s first-ever Rail Safety Awareness Week was given to a classroom full of students at École Île des Chênes School on Tuesday.

Constable Lise Aquin, Dawson Trail MLA Bob Lagassé, and the Vice Principal of École Île des Chênes School“I’m very pleased to say that this is the first province in Canada where this is actually becoming a law,” comments Dawson Trail MLA Bob Lagassé, who is directly responsible for establishing this initiative. He adds that as soon as the cabinet finalizes this proclamation, the last week of September, in Manitoba, will be officially dedicated to railroad safety.

“I never thought I would get a bill through in my first year [as MLA],” notes Lagassé “and all parties supported it which is fabulous; we all care about safety.”

Lagassé says he, along with Constable Lise Aquin, a CN Police spokesperson, move from school to school presenting the same basic message about trains: look, listen, and live.

Aquin, who led the majority of the presentation at the school, spent half an hour going through various scenarios regarding trains and railways, teaching the young students how to safely approach them.

“We do these types of presentations every single day throughout the year,” Aquin sates, “We don’t want this to be just one week, we want to make sure this safety continues.”

The idea for Rail Safety Awareness Week was prompted after a young girl was killed by a train in Ste. Anne about a year ago. Lagassé stresses that no parent should have to live through that and no child should have their lives unnecessarily cut short. “I want all kids to be able to grow up and be who they are supposed to be.”