TINA PEPLINSKIE

tina.peplinskie@sunmedia.ca

Two OPP detachments in Renfrew County led the provincial statistics of fatal motor vehicle collisions for 2011.

With eight fatalities, the Renfrew detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police was number one in the province among 300 detachments and the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP is second with seven deaths, including four along the Highway 17 corridor, according to a resolution being circulated to police service boards and community policing advisory groups throughout Renfrew County and the city of Pembroke.

The resolution also states 26 people have been killed in collisions on provincial highways within Renfrew County within the past two years.

Because of these startling and grim statistics, Petawawa Councillor Treena Lemay, chairwoman of the Petawawa Police Services Board, is hoping a unified voice will draw attention to these statistics and help people work collaboratively to identify and implement ways to address this tragic reality.

On Thursday, the Pembroke Police Services Board agreed to support the resolution which petitions the members of Renfrew County council to use their influence to request a meeting with Ontario Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli as soon as possible to discuss these statistics.

Pembroke Police Services board chairman Mike Lemay agreed the resolution should be supported and member Terry Harkins concurred saying the situation is bad and getting worse.

Ms. Lemay's goal through this process is a meeting between police service boards, detachment commanders and police chiefs and county council to outline the rationale for a meeting with the minister.

Tina Peplinskie is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist