Over the last week, Operation Lifesaver and our partners held events and served up information across the country – at in-person presentations and sporting events, on social networks and digital channels, and at rail concourses and crossings. The message has been consistent: when it’s you versus a train, There is No ‘Undo’ Button.

“We’ve seen incredible engagement and resonance with our message this week – especially among young people,” said Operation Lifesaver National Director Chris Day. “We of course have more work to do, and we will continually find new and innovative ways to reach people where they are at. We will be dogged in determination until we get to zero.”

Day added: “Rail safety is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play in preventing track tragedies.”

Operation Lifesaver Canada’s latest digital campaigns continue through October. Our new partnership on men’s mental health will grow over time. And, in the coming weeks, we will launch a new Roblox game to connect with young people and gamify rail-safe learning.

These efforts and others are fuelled by people: a large and growing group of volunteers and rail safety ambassadors, which includes our latest Roger Cyr Award winners, who will be formally recognized at a ceremony in Ottawa in November.

Operations Lifesaver Canada’s programs, campaigns, and resources are available year-round at www.operationlifesaver.ca.

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Media Interviews:
Operation Lifesaver Canada
admin@operationlifesaver.ca

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The unveiling is one of many events taking place across Canada this week to mark Rail Safety Week 2025 (RSW25), held September 15–21. This year’s theme – “There is No ‘Undo’ Button” – underscores the life-or-death consequences of unsafe behaviour around railway tracks and trains.

“Every year, far too many Canadians are killed or seriously injured in preventable rail-related incidents,” said Chris Day, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “These decals may look simple, but they serve as a powerful reminder: stay alert, follow the signals, and make safe decisions around tracks and trains.”

“The City of Ottawa is committed to making our roads safer for everyone,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “That includes ongoing efforts to educate the public about safety at railway crossings and across our entire transportation network. Through our Road Safety Action Plan, we are investing in engineering, education, and enforcement to protect the most vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. But even with these improvements, safety depends on all of us following the rules of the road.”

OL Canada is grateful of the support we receive from municipalities across Canada as we work to stop track tragedies. OL Canada attends municipal association conferences federally and provincially each year to engage with municipal leaders and remind them that, as cities grow and intensify, it’s important to remind people that everyone has a role to play in ‘getting to zero’ incidents, injuries, and deaths.

The Brookfield unveiling was attended by representatives from the City of Ottawa, Safer Roads Ottawa, and Operation Lifesaver Canada, alongside community members and students. Local officials emphasized the importance of working together to raise awareness and prevent tragedies before they happen.

Quick Facts

• Every year across North America, more than 2,300 people are killed or seriously injured in rail-related incidents.
• In the first six months of 2025, more than 130 crossing and trespassing incidents occurred in Canada alone, resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.
• Crossing incidents in Canada were up nearly 14 percent compared to the five-year average.

About Operation Lifesaver Canada

Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada is a national not-for-profit dedicated to preventing collisions at rail crossings and trespassing on railway property. OL is funded by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CPKC, VIA Rail, exo, Metrolinx, and others. Working in partnership with railways, governments, law enforcement, safety organizations, and communities across the country, OL saves lives by educating Canadians about the hazards associated with tracks and trains.

For more information about Rail Safety Week 2025 and Operation Lifesaver Canada’s programs, visit: operationlifesaver.ca

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Media Contact:
Operation Lifesaver Canada
admin@operationlifesaver.ca

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OTTAWA – Sept. 15, 2025 – Today marks the start of Rail Safety Week (#RSW25) in Canada and Operation Lifesaver reminds everyone that when it comes to rail crossings and trespassing There is No ‘Undo’ Button.

Quick facts:

• Every year across North America more than 2,300 people are struck or killed in rail-related incidents.
• In the first six months of this year, in Canada alone, there were more than 130 incidents resulting in serious injury or death at crossings or related to trespassing.
• In fact, the number of trespassing incidents from January to June is up 46.8% compared to the five-year historical average.
• The number of serious injuries related to trespassing is up 250% in that same period compared to the five-year historical average.

“Our mission is to get to zero – zero rail-related incidents, zero injuries and zero deaths. Sadly, the latest numbers show we have a lot of work to do to get to zero,” said Operation Lifesaver Canada National Director Chris Day. “Our message this week is simple: you can’t take back a bad decision. There is No Undo Button.”

This week, Operation Lifesaver and its partners are hosting events and activities across Canada to raise awareness about the devastating consequences of unsafe behaviour around railway tracks and trains.

Week in brief:

• Today, we are releasing our latest #STOPTrackTragedies video. Click here to watch XXX’s story.
• Tomorrow, hundreds of law enforcement personnel and other first responders will participate in Operation Clear Track – Canada and North America’s largest rail safety enforcement blitz.
• Wednesday, we look at the role municipalities can play in improving crossing safety and we launch a new public safety announcement targeting the nearly 300,000 Canadians who drive and deliver as part of the so-called gig economy.
• Thursday, we are pleased to celebrate Indigenous engagement efforts in keeping communities safe.
• On Friday, we focus on trespass and suicide prevention by launching two new Today Is Better videos and a new initiative involving men’s mental health.
• On Saturday, we celebrate OL Canada volunteers, including our newest Rail Safety Ambassadors and Challenge Coin recipients. We will also announce of the latest Roger Cyr Award winners.
• On Sunday, we remind folks that no photo, selfie, or video is worth the risk of serious injury or death.

Connect with Operation Lifesaver on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Amplify our content or share your own rail-safety posts using the hashtags #RSW25 and #RailSafety.

For more information, including a full calendar of events, please visit https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/initiatives/campaigns/rail-safety-week-2025/

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For media interviews, please contact:
Operation Lifesaver Canada
admin@operationlifesaver.ca

The post Operation Lifesaver Reminds Canadians that There Is No ‘Undo’ Button appeared first on Operation Life Saver.

June 3, 2025, Ottawa, ON — Every year, in Canada and around the world, far too many lives are needlessly lost or forever changed because of unsafe behaviour around railway property.

Whether it’s ignoring signals at a level crossing or trespassing on tracks and railway property, hundreds of Canadians have been injured or killed in recent years. Operation Lifesaver Canada – along with our domestic and international partners – want to do our part to get to zero. That’s why Operation Lifesaver Canada is proud to support two important international initiatives this month: the 4th annual International Trespass Awareness Day (TRESPAD) on June 4, and the 17th edition of International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on June 5. Led by the International Union of Railways (UIC), these campaigns bring together countries, rail companies, and safety advocates from around the world to raise awareness and prevent railway-related tragedies. This year’s theme of “Safe decisions – every time” highlights the importance of personal responsibility and making the right choices around tracks and trains.

“Whether it’s a shortcut across the tracks or trying to beat a train at a crossing, these are decisions that can have lasting, even deadly, consequences,” says Chris Day, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “These international days of action remind us that rail safety is a shared responsibility. That collaboration at home and abroad is key to making a difference.” Each year, nearly 50 countries participate in ILCAD and TRESPAD, sharing best practices and launching national campaigns to combat risky behaviour. The 2025 launch events are being held in York, United Kingdom.

“These global safety campaigns aim to raise awareness, encourage behavioural change, and ultimately save lives,” says Day. “Risk assessments, technical innovation, education and enforcement are all part of the mix of collective actions that will get results. With everyone doing their part, we can get to zero (rail-related incidents, deaths, and injuries). But we still have work to do.”

According to UIC’s safety data, level crossing users accounted for 94% of the nearly 10 rail-related victims per week reported in 2023 across 33 countries. Most of these incidents were avoidable. In Canada, too, the majority of railway incidents are caused by people making risky decisions—decisions that can be prevented through education and outreach. Operation Lifesaver Canada will continue to promote public education, community partnerships, and industry collaboration to stop these incidents before they happen. Through programs like Look. Listen. Live., and campaigns like #STOPTrackTragedies, Operation Lifesaver is committed to reducing railway trespassing and crossing collisions to zero.

To learn more about how you can stay safe around railway property or to access our suite of safety resources, visit our newly redesigned website www.operationlifesaver.ca. Get the resources. Have the conversations with the people you love. You could help save a life.

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Media Contacts:
Chris Day
National Director, Operation Lifesaver Canada
admin@operationlifesaver.ca

Isabelle Fonverne
Senior Advisor, Safety and Interoperability, UIC
fonverne@uic.org

The post Global Collaboration, Canadian Commitment to ‘Get to Zero’ Rail Crossing and Trespassing Incidents appeared first on Operation Life Saver.

“At Operation Lifesaver Canada, we are working to get to zero : Zero rail-related incidents, zero deaths and injuries, zero grade crossing collisions and zero trespassings. We can only ‘get to zero’ with strong partners as rail safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play. Our Roger Cyr Award winners represent the best of the best in terms of bringing people together constructively to drive results and save lives.”

Chris Day

Interim National Director, OL Canada

The post Recognizing Rail Safety Champions: Meet the latest Roger Cyr Award Winners appeared first on Operation Life Saver.