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Vol. 11, No. 16, Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Hauling of dangerous goods in school zone cause for serious concern, says resident Michelle Pinon Editor
Safety concerns regarding the transportation of dangerous goods through school zones in Lamont were brought forward to town council on Feb. 9. Bringing forth those concerns was Clyde Leamon, who made a brief presentation to council. Leamon, who resides in Lamont County has two children who currently attend Lamont Elementary School and Lamont High School, and he is seriously concerned about their safety as well as the safety of all students who attend those schools. Back in early December, (2015),
Leamon was picking up his daughter from school when he noticed eight tandem trucks, most of which were carrying fuel, driving through the school zone on Secondary Highway 831 as students were leaving. Secondary Highway 831, which runs between both schools, has a ban of 75 per cent loads, said Leamon. “This puts most of the tandem trucks well over 10,000 litres of fuel. “There are no scales on this road to prove their loads or enforcement checking their log books on a consistent basis. “I couldn’t believe it’s a dangerous goods route,” stated Leamon, who went to the town office soon after to voice
his concerns in person. “My biggest concern is why are we letting large tandem trucks through our school zones at all during school times.” At the town office Leamon said he was informed that Secondary Highway 831 is a provincial highway, and they, (the town), couldn’t do anything about it. Even though he was dissuaded, Leamon decided to email Transportation Minister Brian Mason to voice his concerns. Alberta Transportation responded two weeks later. He was informed that primary and secondary highways providing a direct route in or through a municipality may not be restricted to traffic, including vehicles
transporting dangerous goods if there are no other access routes within or around the municipality. Leamon said there is an alternate route large trucks could use to bypass the school zones, and was informed by Alberta Transportation there is a provision in the provincial Dangerous Goods Transportation and Handling Act that would allow a municipality to designate routes, time of travel, and prohibit the carriage of dangerous goods on those highways specified by the bylaw. It was pointed out that the Town of Lamont does not have a Dangerous Goods Bylaw in effect. “There are option for
re-routing traffic around the town for these times, and would be a five minute detour,” stated Leamon. “The plan would be for Coun. Dave Taylor to work with the schools to have an audit from the provincial government.” Another option that was brought forward by Alberta Transportation was to approach companies regarding industry best practice and social licence. The letter stated, “Most companies strive to achieve public support and to have a positive community reputation. In most cases, if concerns over general operating practices are brought to the company’s attention, they may go out of their way to
work cooperatively with the communities they travel through.” Leamon was also given contact information by Alberta Transportation for the Northeast Capital Industrial Association in which industry partners strive to work with communities to address environmental, health, safety, infrastructure and community issues. Leamon is hoping the town will take a proactive approach and not a re-active one as it deals with all chemicals travelling through the town, and affects the safety of all children whether they reside inside or outside the Town of Lamont.
Brushstrokes for a cause Michelle Pinon Editor
Paint Nights are becoming all the rage. The Paint Nights that have been held at Lamont High School recently, have not only been popular, they have been in support of local families and students, who have benefitted from the enthusiasm and generosity of participants. Principal Sharon McLean has been very pleased with the positive response the fundraisers have received. The first Paint Night was held in support of a local family that had faced a medical crisis, the most
recent one was in support of the 2016 graduation class, and the next Paint Night & Silent Auction is slated for Thursday, March 10th at 6:30 p.m. The fundraiser is in support of a deaf student in need of a specialized piece of equipment. Members of the Bruderheim Parent Advisory Council (BPAC) will be hosting a Paint Night on Feb. 24 from 6:30–9:30p.m. BPAC representative Cynthia Willis said it is the first time BPAC is hosting an event like this, and is happy to report all 60 tickets have been sold. Funds raised during the event will go towards an upcoming performance by the Alberta Opera as well as future field trips for students.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMONT HIGH SCHOOL
Members of the 2016 LHS Grad Class committee held a successful fundraising Paint Night on Thursday, February 11.