Plunking homes next to rail yards an invitation to disaster, neighbourhood activist says

The anniversary of the Lac-Mgantic rail disaster got me thinking about practicality.

It may have been practical to leave a freight train carrying 72 cars of crude oil unattended in the middle of the night. But we all know how no-nonsense gravity is, so the thing rolled into town andcaused fires and explosions that killed 47 people and destroyed 44 buildings.

• Lac-Mgantic disaster by the numbers: Catalogue of a tragedy
• Lac-Mgantic coroner says 47 deaths were 'violent, avoidable'

In my neighbourhood, Lord Roberts, a similar blast at the rail yards could reach across Pembina Highway well onto Stafford Street, north to Corydon, as far east as the Red River and south to Kingston Crescent. We live within four blocks of 12 noisy rail lines carrying toxic materials. They never stop. That's why our old rail yard is now a no-build zone. You can find the no-build map in a Jan. 13, 2016, CBC article.

In spite of that, 900 residences are to be built in the Jubilee Development, which iswithin 70 metres of the trains, to glue riders there for developer-oriented transit, under a plan firstapprovedin 2010 under the name the Yards of Fort Rouge.

Why? Politicians like looking progressive. They even got celebrity Mike Holmes involved for a while.

• Mike Holmes in Winnipeg for ribbon cutting of new project
• Construction delays led to Fort Rouge Yards rebranding, land owner says

On Feb. 25, 2015, city councillors Matt Allard and Jeff Browaty moved that since "There may have been an increase in rail traffic carrying dangerous goods such as oil and other flammable materials passing through the city and whereas the two-year anniversary of the Lac-Mgantic disaster is approaching on July 6, 2015, and the lessons learned from that tragedy must be applied to improving the safety of Winnipeggers, and whereas a serious derailment could lead to great destruction, injury and loss of life, therefore be it resolved that the Winnipeg public service explore how to improve safety for new development in proximity to railway operations."

In January 2016, in a report titled "Improving Safety for New Development in Proximity to Railway Operations in the City of Winnipeg," the planning department referred to the 2013 Federation of Canadian Municipalities/Railway Association of Canada Guidelines for New Development in Proximity to Railway Operations: "The recommended setbacks for new residential development in proximity to railway operations are as follows: Freight Rail Yard: 300 metres."

Sounds good, until you read Recommendation 3 in the same report, which is titled "Conduct hazard risk and vulnerability assessment for the city, which would include rail lines." It says, "Although it is impractical to implement mitigation and setback standards in either the Winnipeg or downtown Winnipeg zoning bylaws for established neighbourhoods, the City of Winnipeg can work to better co-ordinate emergency services in the event of a rail emergency."

Hang on. The city is telling us it won't protect people when it has twinges of impracticality.

For whom, exactly?

Instead, the city wants to get ambulances in quicker. And dreams of no trains at all.

• Bowman: Plans for new Arlington Bridge must proceed as long as railyards remain

Hard to get that warm fuzzy feeling.

Under a section about "current bylaws, policies and practices with respect to the development of residential and sensitive uses adjacent to rail lines," the report states:

"The Yards at Fort Rouge does not include any specific requirements for buffering from the Fort Rouge Rail Yard; however, the plan area is separated from the rail yard by the rapid transit corridor, which is at least 25 metres wide."

Twenty-five metres is only one-40th of a 1 km blast radius and is 275 metres shy of requirements.

A week before council entertained rail safety guidelines, developers Gem Equities and Qualico started digging. Right in the no-build zone, they are plunking 300 condos.

These condo dwellers, their toddlers and visiting grandparents will be close enough to take selfies with train conductors as they cruise past.

Moreover, the city may feel some practicality in imagining the 1,200 new condos buffering old Lord Roberts from fireballs.

Isn't that lovely?

Bev Pike is an artist and community activist.