CN announces winners of inaugural CN Safer Alberta Award

CALGARY, Alta., JUNE 6, 2008 — CN (TSX:CNF)(NYSE:CNI) today announced the winners of the inaugural CN Safer Alberta Awards, which honours community groups and youth organizations for promoting safety in Alberta.

The winners and runners-up, and their recognized safety initiatives, are as follows:

Youth Winner:
William E. Hay Composite High School (PDF 104.99KB) Film Class; Stettler, Alta.
Injury Prevention PSA project – High school film students create PSAs for their peer group focused on common risk behaviours and social marketing messages including seatbelt use, Graduated Drivers License restrictions as well as all-terrain vehicle use. DVDs are distributed to schools across Alberta.

Youth Honourable Mention:
Highwood High School (PDF 104.75KB) SADD Committee; High River, Alta.
Students Against Drinking and Driving – A group of dedicated students from grades 9 to 12 work together using innovative strategies to educate and create behaviour change when it comes to drinking and driving, both in their peer group and the broader community.

Community Winner:
Strathcona County Safe Community (PDF 64.01KB); Strathcona County, Alta.
Lids for All – This injury-prevention program works to ensure all residents of Strathcona County, regardless of income or age, have access to bike and skateboard helmets.  Free education and fitting helps to make sure helmets are worn properly so that they can be as effective as possible.

Community Honourable Mention:
Safe Community Wood Buffalo (PDF 104.79KB); Fort McMurray, Alta.
RoadWatch on the Move – This social marketing/awareness campaign promotes traffic safety, increases knowledge of risky driving behaviour and works to reduce road rage in the greater Fort McMurray area.

The $10,000 award program presents the winners and runners-up in each category with $4,000 and $1,000 respectively to support their safety initiatives.

John Dalzell, CN vice-president, Risk Management, said: “At CN, safety is a core value and an ongoing commitment to our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate.

“We value and respect those who share our commitment to making Alberta communities safe places to live and work. We are proud to honour the winners of the 2008 Safer Alberta Awards.”

Dalzell made the announcement at Spruce Meadows, a world-class show-jumping venue in Calgary, Alta.

Winners were chosen by a panel of expert judges:

• Paul Miller, CN's Chief Safety and Transportation Officer;
• Karen Simmers, Director, National Network for Safe Communities Canada — a national charitable organization helping communities build the capacity and resources to improve safety and prevent injuries.
• Dr. Louis Francescutti, a professor of public health sciences at the University of Alberta, an emergency medicine and preventive medicine physician and founder of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research.
• Jim Gray, Calgary business leader, philanthropist and member of CN's Board of Directors.

CN also announced plans to expand the awards program. All municipalities in Alberta will now be eligible to participate in the CN Safer Alberta Awards. Previously, only those centres designated as safe communities by Safe Communities Canada were eligible.

“Expanding the CN Safer Alberta Awards enables us to recognize and honour deserving safety-focused initiatives province-wide,” said Dalzell, who also serves as a director for Safe Communities Canada. “The expansion will also help to increase awareness for the value of improving safety in Alberta's communities for the benefit of us all.”

The CN Safer Alberta Awards program is an initiative of the CN Stronger Communities Fund. More information on the CN Safer Alberta Awards can be found at www.cn.ca/safety.

CN has been promoting railway safety for more than 25 years through its All Aboard for Safety community education program. Every year, CN Police officers make hundreds of All Aboard for Safety presentations and talk to more than 300,000 children and adults at schools and community events in Canada and the United States about the importance of safety and the dangers of walking and playing on or near railroad tracks. Part of the strength of this program is the collaborative relationship with major community safety partners: Operation Lifesaver, Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).