Matthew Thompson’s wife Alyssa passed away in December from a fatal crash at Lovel Street Rail Crossing in Churchbridge, SK. This occurred only thirty-five days after their wedding.
This rail crossing was long known by residents of their rural Saskatchewan community of Churchbridge to be dangerous. A similar incident took place in 2023, an accident at Lovel Street Rail Crossing took the life of one man and left two children injured.
Following the accident in 2023, the community made calls to protect drivers and add increased safety measures to that railway to prevent any future accidents, but no one listened.
“This loss is heartbreaking — and it was preventable,” said Darcy Warrington, Shadow Minister for Highways & Infrastructure. “When communities have been raising concerns for years and nothing changes, that is a failure of leadership.”
Warrington said the tragedy underscores a broader issue across Saskatchewan, where smaller communities are often left without the resources to implement critical safety upgrades at rail crossings. In this case, local officials have pointed to the high cost of installing proper warning systems — costs that municipalities cannot shoulder alone.
“People deserve the same level of protection whether they live in a major city or a small community,” said Hugh Gordon, Associate Shadow Minister for Community Safety.
“No family should have to come to the Legislature to beg for basic safety measures. The government must act now to prevent another tragedy.”
The Opposition is calling on the Minister of Highways and Infrastructure to meet with Thompson and to work with federal partners, municipalities, and rail companies to:
· Accelerate installation of modern crossing protections, including arms and signal lights
· Identify high-risk crossings and prioritize upgrades
· Ensure stable, shared funding so municipalities are not left behind
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