Exporail to launch exhibition on rail safety in April 2016
SAINT-CONSTANT and DELSON, QC, July 8, 2015 /CNW/ - Railway safety is everyone's business. Two years after the tragedy at Lac-Mégantic, Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, in collaboration with Operation Lifesaver, is preparing a permanent exhibition on rail safety whose concept is being unveiled today. This family-oriented exhibition will offer visitors three distinct experiences exploring critical aspects of safety around railway tracks and encouraging conversations about developments in safety measures since the time of the first Canadian railway. You may recall that the project received a generous donation from CN last fall in order to begin research and develop the concept.
The Executive Director of Exporail, Marie-Claude Reid, explains that the three components of the exhibition set up at different locations around the Exporail site will be sure to generate considerable interest. An immersive experience will be created to confront visitors with realistic scenarios designed to encourage safe behaviour around railway tracks. An interactive circuit will also help make small children aware of railway safety by stimulating their motor skills, imagination and senses. Finally, a display in the entrance hall will underscore the evolution of safety measures, regulations and innovations developed by the railway industry in response to challenges faced by society and businesses in their efforts to ensure everyone's safety.
The Chair of Operation Lifesaver, Stephen Covey, reminds us of the importance of always being vigilant around railway tracks: "There are too many injuries and deaths every year. In 2014, nearly 300 collisions and incidents occurred at level crossings or during intrusions onto private railway property. Our mission is to educate the population about dangers around railways and to play a role in reducing the risks."
"Railway safety is a responsibility that must be shared by everyone," emphasizes the Honorary Chair of the project's fundraising campaign, Michael Bourque, President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. "I would like to thank CN for supporting the project and for having launched the initiative. I now invite our partners in the railway industry to join in backing the project by participating in the fundraising campaign for the exhibition. We are all working together to promote the common goal of rail safety."
Everyone is invited to attend the exhibition when it opens during Rail Safety Week in April 2016.
About Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum:
Located on the South Shore of Montreal, in Saint-Constant/Delson, Exporail hosts the largest railway collection in Canada with more than 160 vehicles, 10,000 artefacts, 200 archival fonds and more than 1,000 scale models. Exporail is a project of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, a not-for-profit corporation.
www.exporail.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Exporail
Twitter : @exporail
About Operation Lifesaver:
Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property. Operation Lifesaver spreads its motto of "Look, Listen and Live" through its many year-long initiatives that complement PRSW, including interactive kids websites, online new and professional driver education modules, and social media outreach on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, OL's network of volunteers conducts more than 500 rail safety presentations and activities across Canada each year.
www.operationlifesaver.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationlifesaver
Twitter: @oplifesaver
SOURCE Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum
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