Sask. man asks for government help improving safety at train crossing where his wife died

Just a few months after his wife was killed at a rail crossing in Churchbridge, Sask., Matthew Thompson arrived at the legislative building in Regina to try to convince the provincial government to make the intersection safer.

Thompson said his wife, Alyssa, was killed when her vehicle and a train collided at the Lovel Street Rail Crossing in December, just a little over a month after they were married.

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“She was a very well-loved and respected member of our community, and not only our community, but the surrounding communities,” Thompson said.

“All the way from past Yorkton to the Manitoba border, everybody who knew Alyssa loved her. She was just a kind person.”

He was brought to the legislative building by the Saskatchewan NDP to ask for help from the provincial government.

Thompson said the crossing has long been understood to be dangerous. He said there have been two deaths in two years at the crossing, including his wife’s, and there were other crashes in between that weren’t fatal.

He said the crossing is currently controlled by a stop sign, and sight lines to the west are blocked by a home and trees, making it difficult for drivers to see. He said he wants the provincial government to install signal lights at the crossing, at the very least.

“It doesn’t have to be a gated crossing or anything like that, but just some sort of early warning system to let you know that there’s a train coming,” Thompson explained.

There have been talks about the crossing before, according to Thompson. He said CPKC Rail previously had discussions about improvements, but when it got to the money, things stalled. Thompson said he was told that warning lights could cost up to $450,000.

Thompson said he wants something done in a timely manner, before more deaths happen at the crossing.

He was set to meet with Highways Minister Warren Kaeding to talk about the issue on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Highways, the crossing is regulated by Transport Canada, which is a federal department. It said the ministry will meet with officials from the Town of Churchbridge and work with the rail company to discuss a path forward.