23 March 2005
Crossing Controversy is
a Can of Worms
There's no doubt about it:
the Mackenzie crossing controversy is a real can of worms for everyone - the
citizen-politicians on Council and the residents of CPR Hill.
The worst thing about it is that everyone, at least according to the petition, apparently wants the
same thing - a set of controls at the crossing.
But there seems to be some kind of disconnect between Mayor Mark McKee, the Council, and the folks up
on the Hill.
How and why that came about is puzzling.
How it can be solved is relatively easy. Everyone must agree on convincing Transport Canada to
fast-track a set of signals for the controversial crossing.
But it must be perceived as a safety issue. That's the key to a successful resolution. Otherwise we'll
be re-hashing the same arguments about the crossing 10 years down the road.
Petition proponent Glen O'Reilly has suggested that McKee use the petition as leverage to convince
Transport Canada that a full-protection system be installed at the crossing.
We agree and strongly urge the mayor and Council to use the petition as evidence of
wide-spread public concern about the crossing's safety. After all, 1,476 signatures have
to count for something, don't they?
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