Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne’s continued lobbying for a second bridge in the city took a new twist this week.
Concerned about the fact that dangerous goods are moved over the Diefenbaker Bridge and through the heart of Prince Albert on a daily basis, Dionne says he is considering what options are available to ban their transport through the city.
However, Saskatchewan Highways Minister Don McMorris says there are already strict federal regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods and a bylaw banning their movement is totally unnecessary.
“These regulations are across Canada, every municipality abides by them, every provincial government abides by them and we work very closely with our shippers to make sure they abide by them,” he says. “I think it would be a black mark on Prince Albert for it to be the only city in Canada that would be doing something like this. I don’t know if I would want that reputation.”
McMorris adds Dionne appears to be trying to fix a problem where there isn’t one.
“It’s also important to know we haven’t had a major incident, and not to say that we don’t need to be vigilant, but we haven’t had a major incident in the province in carrying dangerous goods.”
Dionne has also been calling on the province to put a detailed reporting process in place on the transport of dangerous goods.
In spite of a report earlier this year that said at current traffic volumes the Diefenbaker Bridge is sufficient for the foreseeable future, Prince Albert council has continued to lobby the province hard for a second bridge in the city.