RAIL OVERPASS

Mr Ernie Hardeman (Oxford): I rise today to ask the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal to take the safety of the citizens of the town of Ingersoll into consideration and allocate funding through the Canada-Ontario municipal-rural infrastructure fund toward the construction of a much-needed railway overpass.

The county of Oxford has met with the Minister of Finance and has sent a business plan to the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal outlining the risks to public safety and the need for provincial funding. This plan demonstrates the significant public safety risks caused by railroad tracks which run directly through the town and sever traffic movement from one side of the town to the other.

These tracks carry over 40 trains a day and are often used to shunt cars back and forth. As a result, emergency service vehicles are frequently unable to cross the town to provide services to the citizens on the other side of the tracks. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal's news release states that the Canada-Ontario municipal-rural infrastructure fund is meant to address local priorities like local roads and bridges, as well as help address other health and safety priorities.

I urge Minister Caplan to include the town of Ingersoll in those health and safety priorities by funding the provincial portion of this overpass so that the emergency service vehicles can serve all citizens of the town at any time of the day. I urge the minister to do this without delay and demonstrate his dedication to the safety of all the citizens of Ontario. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you, Minister Caplan.