2009

1 October 2009 Mother Wants More Fencing at Bala Tracks   Warren Mangan.     Bala Ontario - The mother of a young man who was killed by a train last summer outside The Kee to Bala believes fencing around the train tracks could prevent future deaths.   More fencing and larger warning signs could make it much safer, said Linda Lalonde, the mother of Warren Mangan.   "I just know that I could never live with myself (if) this happens to some other family," said Lalonde.   Mangan, 26, was hit by an eastbound Canadian Pacific (CP) freight train at the railroad tracks near The Kee to Bala just after midnight on 31 Aug 2008. At the time police said he was sitting on the tracks. Mangan went to The Kee that evening with a group of 36 friends who hired a bus for the trip.   On the one-year anniversary of her son's death, Lalonde visited the site where he died and wasn't happy with the measures CP has taken thus far. Earlier this year, CP added 25 No Trespassing signs to the area.   Lalonde said she found one small sign to the far right of where people normally sit outside the concert hall.   "It is no bigger than a sheet of paper," said Lalonde.   People leaving the bar have always liked to sit on the hill where they can hear the music, said Lalonde.   "If you were kicked out, you sat up there," she said.   This appears to be continuing to happen, she said.   "There are obviously people still sitting up there because there were beer bottles around. This is a good indication that signs do not work."   A fence could help prevent future incidents, she said.   "This place is so unsafe and they (CP) are saying they are not going to fix it. It is not like we are asking them to fence the whole of Bala, just about a 250-foot spot," said Lalonde.   Michel Spenard, manager of public affairs for CP, said the company increased safety measures in that area this summer by adding the signs and police patrols.   Spenard said CP was in consultation with the area municipal government on fencing but nothing has moved forward. He added that CP is willing to consider fencing.   "Often if there is a need or desire locally for fencing, the town and railway participate jointly," said Spenard. "We are certainly open to that.. but fencing isn't the final solution."   There are three aspects to public safety around railway tracks, engineering, education, and enforcement, he said.   Fencing doesn't always deter people from crossing tracks.   "It is not always a 100 percent foolproof barrier. We just can't prevent people from doing what they want to do. That often leads to tragic accidents," said Spenard.   Lalonde, meanwhile, has questions regarding The Kee to Bala's responsibility in the incident. Last year Toronto resident Mike Andrews, 32, said he saw a bouncer take Mangan away on the evening of the accident.   Andrews said Mangan wasn't causing any trouble at the time.   Lisa Murray, spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) said The Kee to Bala was cleared in the incident and the investigation is now closed. The investigation revealed no direct connection between anything The Kee to Bala did and Mangan's death, she said.   "He (Mangan) was not served to intoxication at The Kee to Bala," said Murray.   Lalonde thinks there is more The Kee could have done, such as letting her son's friends know he had been escorted out.   "They should have told someone... that's the part that gets me," said Lalonde.   She also doesn't understand why Mangan was kicked out, if he wasn't served to the point of intoxication.   "To this day I am not sure why they still have a liquor licence," she said.   The Kee to Bala could not be reached for comment by press time.   Karen Longwell.

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