Safe Rail Communities, a local advocacy group, has drafted its Rail Emergency Preparedness Toolkit as part of its Rail Safety Improvement Program. Funded by Transport Canada, the toolkit provides residents living near rail tracks with emergency contacts in case of a train derailment.

On the morning of August 21, 2016, two cars on a Canadian Pacific (CP) freight train derailed near Dupont Street and Howland Avenue, one year after two CP trains collided in the same area. An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada found that human error on the part of the train crew, engineers, and the train conductor caused the 2016 derailment.

There have been five condominium development proposals along the Dupont rail line submitted to the City of Toronto since the 2016 derailment. Many have been denied by the city or the Ontario Municipal Board due to their proximity to the rail line.

—Ahmed Hagar, Gleaner News

READ MORE:

NEWS: Trains in the night (September 2016)

ON THE COVER: Dupont rail derailment (August 2016)

EDITORIAL (SEPTEMBER 2016): Train derailment changes the conversation

NEWS: Rail safety focus of town hall (May 2016)

Where do your LPC, NDP, and GPC candidates stand? (September 2015)

Inaction frustrates residents (May 2015) By Arthur White

Risky Rails? (February 2015) by Madeline Smith