PRINCE ALBERT, SK— Unless trucks transporting dangerous goods give Prince Albert mayor a list of what they’re carrying, they will simply not be allowed to cross through the city.

Mayor Greg Dionne told the CBC he’s threatening to ban the transport of dangerous goods through the city in order to protect the people.

“It’s a far out option, but it is an option that we have,” Dionne says. “We don’t want to use it, but at the same time we need to know what is coming through our community for the safety of our community.”

If trucks supply a list of what they’re carrying, as he’s been requesting for the past nine months, first responders will be better equipped to handle the situation in case of any incidents.

But the city’s firefighters say they’re well equipped to handle any incidents involving dangerous goods, according to the Prince Albert Daily Herald. 

“We’re not flying blind in the city,” says deputy chief, Jason Everitt. “Our staff is very well trained in managing dangerous goods.”

And while they currently don’t have a list of what’s running through the city, they have an idea based on the calls they’ve responded to in the past.

“Most of those [calls] are small-scale spills where there’s a car accident where we’ve got diesel or gasoline leaking,” he says.

He adds that they also communicate with dispatchers and do an evaluate upon arrival at the scene, so they quickly know what the situation is and what substances are involved.

And there’s truck placards, too, of course.

The truck ban is a last resort, Dionne says, but it’s within their right to implement it, he says.

“I’ve heard from our local MLAs,” Dionne says. “Of course, they don’t like controversy.”

“Unfortunately you sometimes have to use controversy to get the will, you know, to protect your people.”

Unlike Saskatoon and Regina, Prince Albert does not have a Circle Drive or Ring Road to allow trucks to go around the city.

For more on this story, you can read the CBC article here and the Prince Albert’s Daily Herald here.