If you were at the 1st Avenue rail crossing this afternoon (May 1), chances are you were stopped.

Members of the Airdrie RCMP, Citizens on Patrol, and City Council stood out along the center of the road for about an hour near the crossing, distributing pamphlets and talking about rail safety. The campaign comes on the heels of Rail Safety Week, which ended yesterday.

Roxane West is one of the driving forces behind the campaign, which they've been doing annually for about 14 years. West's motivation is personal: Her son Andrew was killed on the tracks near the crossing in a rail accident 16 years ago while walking along the tracks with his headphones in.

"I don't ever want this happening again to anyone else," said West.,"My son, he would have been turning 30 this year in July, and I've missed everything," she added, holding back tears.

Councillors Allan Hunter and Fred Burley were among the volunteers helping with the campaign. Hunter hopes that young people especially will take rail safety to heart.

"Please, don't do it. Take the sidewalk, be late for work, doesn't matter, get a ride, but don't be on those tracks. Please."

Hunter expressed some frustration that the message seems to fall on deaf ears, as he continues to see young people using the tracks as a shortcut.

West's lose has led her to passionate advocacy, crusading to make sure Airdronians are safe around the rails. Her message to Airdrie is similar to Hunter's.

"Be safe out there. Railway tracks are not there for pictures, they're not there for playing or crossing. Be safe. Make the right choices. And look, listen and live."

 

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