1
$
discover official community guide
harrison hot springs, agassiz & surrounding areas
The Agassiz Y Harrison
Discover Community Guide Available Now!
LINDA & FREDDY MARKS
Friday, August 9, 2013
& NOTARIES PUBLIC
Real Estate Transfers 604.796.2925
ahobserver.com › office: 604.796.4300 › classifieds: 604-796-4300 › newsline 604-796-4302
Gleaming in the sun
IMAGES IN METAL Photo exhibit captures colour and feeling
WWW.THEBESTDEALSINBC.COM
604.491.1060
13
MENTAL HEALTH CHECK Support for teens just a click away
10
INSIDE opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Railway crossing to be repaired Damaged tracks a safety concern for emergency vehicles
mailbag . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Alina Konevski
entertainment. . . . . . . 13
Residents will soon be able to drive over the railway crossing at Highway 7 and Evergreen Drive faster, as district officials have finally received a commitment from the rail company to repair the crossing. The damaged tracks have long caused problems in town. "The railway crossing concrete pads are uneven, which cause it to be quite rough, especially for larger trucks," said Mick Thiessen, director of engineering services with the District of Kent. "One of the main safety concerns is response time for emergency
classiÄeds . . . . . . . . . 14
SUTTON WEST COAST REALTY HHS
JESSICA PETERS / OBSERVER
Mike McVay’s 1928 Pontiac was just one of about 100 cars registered into the sixth annual Agassiz Harrison Lions Car Show on Jul. 27 in Agassiz. The sedan is still road worthy, and like many of the vintage car owners, McVay drove to the show along the Lougheed Hwy. For more photos, visit the Observer on Facebook.
Locally Owned & Operated 7266 Pioneer Ave. 604-796-8444
BLACK PRESS
Bring 1 Canned Food item to A&W for our local Food Bank
= 2 FOR 1
TEEN BURGERS 4 U!
service vehicles. They're being delayed because they have to slow down to cross it." District officials have been trying to get the tracks repaired for some time, as residents have complained about the difficult crossing. Pedestrians have even gotten walkers stuck in the tracks. Transport Canada finally inspected the damage, and promptly determined that the crossing required "urgent review". The crossing surface is "very unstable," wrote Transport Canada's railway safety inspector Dennis Maskell to the district in a June 26 letter. At least four concrete panels are
not attached to their anchors, according to Maskell, and the panels are lying too high above the rails – in some cases, two to three inches above any rail, when the recommended maximum is one inch. Because of this, the panels facing vehicle traffic are damaged, which Maskell attributes to vehicles hitting them because the panels are so high. "Vehicles over one ton were actually seen to bounce after striking the very high concrete panels," wrote Maskell. The concrete panels also don't lie in the same plane, but are offset from one another. Maskell also found that be-
2 for $4
Bacon & Eggers POOF. You’re a morning person.
cause vehicles, especially large ones, have to travel so slowly over the crossing, the 30-second light warning of an oncoming train is not enough time. Some vehicles may need more than that to finish crossing the tracks. The crossing is especially problematic because safety service vehicles, such as ambulances and fire trucks, can "only creep over the crossing." The owner of the line, Canadian Pacific Railway, has agreed to start the repairs, potentially in the first week of August. Repairs would take one day, and there may be some traffic diversion. Continued on 2