To the Editor:
The #SaferHighway6 citizens’ action group has reached over 5,300 signatures on our petition at www.change.org which will be presented to the minister of transportation. The petition’s intent is to call for the provincial government to improve Highway 6 in order to prevent further tragic accidents and deaths. We have also reached out to mayors, chiefs, and bus and truck companies for their help. We expect northern chambers of commerce to endorse the petition. Currently, there is broad support from thousands of households across the province.
Trucking companies have told us the highway can be difficult to drive and unsafe in winter. Many parents of sport teams are not willing to drive their kids by car to out of town sport trips without resorting to bus charters. Therefore, not every kid gets to go. Bus drivers have their own complaints and concerns. Many people are afraid to drive this route in winter with the large amount of semi-trailer traffic.
We understand the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce in the past has lobbied the province to install passing lanes. We believe strongly that a non-political petition focused on road safety for all residents and visitors is essential and should not be denied. Sadly, the petition’s preamble lists far too many accidents and families that have been impacted. We deserve better.
The petition asks the province of Manitoba to start an immediate improvement program for wider shoulders, passing lanes for semi trailers, rest stops, optimal snow plowing and de-icing, faster accident response times, and mostly, a 2+1 lane system as used in Sweden and Ireland (also being reviewed for northern Ontario). That solution has reduced highway accidents by 50-80 per cent! We believe funds must be prioritized to make this happen in the north over the next three years. The north has and continues to generate a huge amount of revenue for government in mining taxes, personal income taxes, hydro sales, VLT, and liquor sales revenue. There should be no question whether we can afford it.
Whatever northern community you live in, please ask your elected councillors if they have signed the petition and have they promoted this worthy cause? We ask you to set any political affiliation aside and sign this petition for the sole purpose of safety for yourself, your family, friends, and the visitors into our beautiful, northern region and that we send a strong message to this government and the next.
We thank the towns and First Nations in Northern Manitoba that have provided their resolutions of support. To our community leaders in Thompson, we thank those city councillors who have already signed — Les Ellsworth, Jeff Fountain, Andre Proulx and Braden McMurdo. We hope and encourage the remaining councillors to do the same and not be left out. Please reflect the wishes of your citizens properly. We deserve safer highways. There is no alternative.
Please sign today!
Thank you sincerely.
Brenda Redman, Bev Rolsky, Volker Beckmann, Lindsay Anderson
Thompson
