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Third Session – Forty-First Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXI No. 55A - 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 29, 2018 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-First Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP BINDLE, Kelly Thompson PC CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC CURRY, Nic Kildonan PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FLETCHER, Steven, Hon. Assiniboia Ind. FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Clifford Emerson PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake PC JOHNSTON, Scott St. James PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP KLASSEN, Judy Kewatinook Lib. LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMOUREUX, Cindy Burrows Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MAYER, Colleen St. Vital PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REYES, Jon St. Norbert PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples Ind. SCHULER, Ron, Hon. St. Paul PC SMITH, Andrew Southdale PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Gimli PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian, Hon. Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC YAKIMOSKI, Blair Transcona PC Vacant St. Boniface 2631 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, May 29, 2018 The House met at 10 a.m. Safety Awareness Week Act, move to third reading this morning. Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are As I've spoken before, this has been a direct assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as result of the tragedy that occurred in Ste. Anne to a may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our young lady by the name of Kharma Brown. I think province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that about the good this bill will do over the long run, we may desire only that which is in accordance with especially when it comes to little kids and adults Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, and learning about rail safety and how to remain safe know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for around rails, and I think about my two little nephews the glory and honour of Thy name and for the that recently moved by tracks and how this will welfare of all our people. Amen. impact them in the future. Please be seated. Good morning, everybody. So, with those short words, I am going to sit down and allow my colleagues to speak on this. ORDERS OF THE DAY Thank you. PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Mr. Andrew Swan (Minto): It's a pleasure to stand Mr. Andrew Micklefield (Acting Government up and speak about The Rail Safety Awareness House Leader): Good morning, Madam Speaker. Week Act. I want to acknowledge the member for We wish–we would like to call bill–we would Dawson Trail for bringing this forward. like to seek leave to call Bill 300 for concurrence and And sometimes when there's a tragedy that third reading, followed by bill–I'm sorry–Bill 221, happens in a community, at first when it happens, first, for concurrence and third reading, followed by there's despair for the family and, indeed, for an Bill 300 for concurrence and third reading. entire community. And, as I believe the member knows, I know the community of Ste. Anne a little Madam Speaker: Is there leave to deal with bit. And the question is, when something like this Bill 221 this morning, followed by Bill 300? happens, can anything good come of it. And if, [Agreed] indeed, this bill is some good that comes of a tragic CONCURRENCE AND THIRD READINGS– death, and if, after this bill is passed, there are things PUBLIC BILLS that can happen, there's education that can take place, there's awareness that results that can Bill 221–The Rail Safety Awareness Week Act save even one life, then I think all members of this Madam Speaker: I will then start with concurrence House would agree that this has been a worthwhile and third reading of Bill 221, The Rail Safety exercise. Awareness Week Act. This bill would proclaim the week of the last Friday in September in each year as rail safety Mr. Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): I move, awareness week. And I know this session we've seconded by the member for Transcona actually had opportunity to talk about a number of (Mr. Yakimoski), that Bill 221, The Rail Safety bills that set out days or set out weeks, and I think Awareness Week Act; Loi sur la Semaine de there's been some decent questions about what's sensibilisation à la sécurité ferroviaire, reported actually going to happen. from the Standing Committee on Private Bills, be concurred in and now read for a third time We may stand, I hope, in this case, as one, and and passed. support this bill to third reading and pass it into law– what will happen. I think what is helpful is that we Motion presented. have the railways onside, as well as law enforcement Mr. Lagassé: Morning, Madam Speaker. It gives me agencies and others, saying that they already great pleasure to stand and see Bill 221, The Rail recognize rail safety awareness week, and they 2632 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 2018 already have some awareness and education There's a local firm that was given a contract to materials, which, I think, this bill is intended to complete that railway crossing inventory. And what accord with. they found was actually quite concerning and a reason why I hope that the government will partner Now, in the question-and-answer period and with railways and law enforcement and others to elsewhere, we've tried to get some commitment as to make sure that we get everything we can out of rail whether this government is actually going to put safety awareness week. forward some of its own resources to assist with that. I know that's not up to the member for Dawson Trail That report found that there were 57 crossings– (Mr. Lagassé), so he, quite fairly, can't really answer so about a quarter of all crossings in Winnipeg–that that question. I hope that the government will–even have sightline obstructions that need to be addressed though railways are a federal responsibility and even by November 27, 2021. That can be a blind turn. though individual municipalities have taken on That could be trees. That could be buildings. That steps, which I'll talk about in just a minute–I hope could be any obstruction to someone actually seeing that the government will also recognize that keeping that a train is coming. It's one thing if you've got our citizens safe is an important priority and they lights, it's another thing if you've got barriers, but as will be onside as a true partner in making rail safety we know, many, many level crossings simply have awareness week as widespread as possible. an X, a sign that tell people there's a railway line there without anything further. I think everybody probably noticed there's a story about rail safety in the Winnipeg Free Press * (10:10) just today, and it deals with the City of Winnipeg's And, although it wasn't a rail tragedy, it was response. Of course, every municipality, or just actually a highway tragedy, I think everybody who about every municipality, has railways that go followed the tragedy of the Humboldt Broncos through their own boundaries, and the City of is aware that the intersection in Saskatchewan Winnipeg is now taking another step to try to make had very, very similar problems–trees right at the sure that its railway crossings in Winnipeg comply intersection which prevented a good view down the with updated federal safety standards. And the City road. This is very similar. The City of Winnipeg of Winnipeg, we understand, has issued a formal understands its responsibilities and with those request for proposals for consulting services to do sight-line obstructions, they will try to find ways to safety assessments on all 209 railway crossings in minimize that. the city, to develop a three-year work plan to address safety deficiencies at the crossings based on You know, I was in Kenora just this past urgency and severity. weekend, helping our candidate in Kenora-Rainy River, who, I think, is going to win the seat in what So you think of that, the City of Winnipeg, we may be a very, very fascinating Ontario election, and know that there are rail lines that cross our city. We we were actually driving through Keewatin, which is know, in many cases, of course, there's grade part of greater Kenora.

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