Two cars from a Canadian National Railway (CN) freight train derailed near Elgin Mills Road and Newkirk Road on Jan. 31 in Richmond Hill, calling into question the effectiveness of emergency communications in the town, according to a local councillor.
Two of the train’s cars derailed at 11:55 a.m — the first carrying steel plates and the second containing sulfuric acid, according to CN’s spokesperson Jim Feeny. Although the lack of leaks and injuries makes this a “minor derailment,” eyewitnesses, such as Richmond Hill’s Ward 2 councillor Tom Muench, have questioned such a description. With the train derailment occurring near a residential neighbourhood — and only a barrier dividing the houses and tracks — Muench said, “We’re very lucky.”
“If there had been an explosion … that barrier would have done nothing to prepare the residents for their safety,” said Muench.
He was also critical of CN’s communication processes, saying the “information flow reduced dramatically” after he left the scene.
“I’d like to have a conversation so [CN] can tell me the updates. Those updates stopped.”
But according to Feeny, his team did their part to keep the town informed. “At all times starting six minutes in, the people who needed to know had the information that they needed on what was derailed, what was in the cars and what was going on,” he said. “We sent an email to the mayor of Richmond Hill so he was aware.”
Residents, such as Michelle White, general manager of the nearby Delmanor seniors’ residence, echoed Feeny’s sentiments, stating that she felt well informed throughout the day.
Although Muench is thankful for CN’s services, he said he wants to see them act as more of a partner going forward.
“They basically said, ‘We cleaned it up, we’re moving on, here’s the story, have a nice life,’ ” he said. “I’m not saying they have a safety concern, but I certainly believe that improvement is always possible.”