Train derailment highlights cellular shortcomings in St. Lazare, residents say

Even if the province had tried to send out an emergency cell phone alert after a trail loaded with crude oil derailed near St. Lazare, most of the people in the village wouldn't have received it.

Like many areas of Manitoba, cellular service in the small community near the Saskatchewan border is non-existent.

"Lives are at stake here," said resident Terry Haney.

On Saturday, nearly 40 cars derailed and began spilling crude oil on a farm in the community, about 300 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Although no injuries or fires were reported, the incident underscores the risks involved when emergency workers and residents have no cellular communication.

"People working in the valley during an emergency are pretty much without contact to the outside world," said Roland Blouin, a councillor with the rural municipality of Ellice-Archie.

Haney says there have been some "close calls" when people have gotten lost in the woods around the community.

For years, local officials have lobbied the provincial and federal governments, as well as telecommunications companies, to help expand service in the area.

About four or five years ago, the local community development corporation approached MTS to discuss building a tower in the village, but the cost of $85,000 was too much for a single tower, which would only cover a radius of about one kilometre, Blouin said.

The village and surrounding area has a total population of about 600 people and the hilly terrain makes getting a clear signal difficult.

The lack of cellular service is not only a safety hazard it also hurts the local economy, Haney said.

"Nobody really wants to come live in St. Lazare, because they come to St. Lazare and they've got no cell service that's the thing that makes them change their mind about moving here," he said.

The town once had a thriving business community, but that's changed, said Devon Gurniak, a councillor who also owns two local businesses.

"For years we've watched it drop off, business by business," he said.

In an emergency, the local government has a list of the landline phone numbers for all the houses in the area, but if someone is away from home, the only option is to go door to door.

"You're talking about an entire town, and entire community, that would be in the dark to any kind of an alert like that. So if you wanted to contact somebody, they'd better be at home in their house, or you're not going to get a hold of them," said Gurniak.

When Bell took over MTS, some people in the community hoped cellular service would soon come to their way, but that hasn't happened.

Bell MTS has no announcements planned regarding expanding service in St. Lazare, a company spokesperson said in an email statement.

"We're also always open to discussions with smaller communities and government about funding partnerships for network expansion in areas where there are significant challenges for private investment alone," said Morgan Shipley, manager of communications for Bell MTS.