From several reports we now know the following details about the train accident in Caledonia.

About 11:45 p.m. last night, several residents heard the screeching brakes and horn of the train in Caledonia. Two residents headed towards the noise and were the first to arrive on the scene which was located just behind the homes at the Douglas Creek Estates (DCE).

The two conductors were franctically saying they had just killed someone. A warrior had been hit by the train as he walked down the tracks.

One resident walked down the tracks and found one Native warrior dressed completely in camouflage clothing sitting at the side of the track in a bush - apparently dazed by what had happened. The resident started asking if he was okay, could he move his fingers & feet etc. when other warriors showed up.

The OPP refused to come to the aid of the conductors & the hurt warrior. The two female EMF personnel had to find their own way down to the site and soon after the fire department also went in alone.

The fire department cut down a chain link fence while the warriors cleared a path through the bush to the scene using their ATVs. The EMF carried the female conductor away from the area and she was sent to the hostipal - apparently suffering from shock. One resident along with a least one warrior helped carry the hurt native to the waiting ambulance.

The resident asked the OPP about the other engineer and the reply was, "what other engineer?" Then the OPP asked, "Does he need any medical assistance?" "Why don't you go ask" the resident replied. "I can't do that - can you go ask him?" the officer said.

The resident and a warrior then returned to the train to find the other conductor. EMF took this conductor to the hospital.

Craig Powless, security for the reclamation site, arrived and the resident said to him that they were going to have to let the OPP come down. "I don't know about that" was the reply.

The warriors claimed they would guard the train. Several of the warriors were now walking on top of the tanks of Chlorine and Gasoline the train was transporting. The resident reported the warriors were smoking while walking on the tanks of gasoline. There were a total of 17 cars on the train.

The resident left the area for a few minutes to make some calls, then heard the train start up. He returned to the site and watched for 15 minutes while the train was being revved up. Finally someone in an OPP uniform drove the train away from the DCE area.

Residents later confronted the OPP, who remained at their police cars the whole time, and demanded an investigation. The OPP refused and stated, "We can't go in there." One resident demanded the badge number of the officers and was promised by the seagent that badge numbers would be handed over.

The whole event took about 3 hrs.

The OPP must have heard the screeching brakes and horn of the train but decided to take no action to see whether someone needed medical attention. The Safety and Concern for the public came second to their orders to stand down and never to enter the DCE development.

What would have happened if the person hit by the train slowly died because the OPP, who could have been first on the scene, remained by their cars?

Is this the quality of service the OPP promise for 'public safety'? Their promise is:

'the Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) commits to working continually to earn the confidence of the citizens of and visitors to Ontario—a confidence that will not be taken for granted.'

Is this the 'Policing Excellence through our People, our Work, and our Relationships' they claim is their mission?

This is a New Low even for the OPP.

Who has to die before OPP will finally become a Police Department Again?