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9/26/2023
Operation Lifesaver Canada last week presented the individual 2022 Roger Cyr Award to Phil Breden, and the 2022 award for communities to the town of Wemotaci, Quebec.
Named after OL Canada’s founder, the awards honors individuals and communities that are doing outstanding work to prevent deaths and injuries that occur railway crossings or as a result of trespassing on railway property.
Breden was recognized for volunteering as a rail safety ambassador to prevent rail tragedies in British Columbia. He joined OL Canada in 2018, and now chairs its British Columbia Committee.
Wemotaci was honored for working at the community level to stop track tragedies. Located about 124 miles north of Montreal, the Atikamekw community experienced a rail tragedy when in September 2018 an 8-year-old boy was killed while playing on a rail bridge and struck by a train.
Since that tragedy, Wemotaci has taken steps to ensure that community members understand the risks associated with tracks and trains. Wemotaci has partnered with OL to launch rail safety prevention initiatives and brought rail safety ambassadors into schools to present rail-safety presentations.