Video credit: Sol Mamakwa (X / @solmamakwa).
LAVAL, QC – July 15, 2026 – A video circulating widely on social media shows a CN freight train engulfed in flames in Northern Ontario. The train was operated by members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). Thanks to the crew’s quick and professional response, no one was injured.
“We commend the courage and professionalism of our members, who kept their composure in a terrifying situation. We are relieved that nobody was hurt,” said Paul Boucher, President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. “But make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent a train down those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the situation is in that region. That fire has been raging for five weeks.”
The union is calling on CN to stop running trains through active wildfire zones and to put the safety of workers and communities first.
“Recent federal government initiatives have emboldened employers to place greater emphasis on operational efficiency and supply chain fluidity, sometimes at the expense of critical safety considerations,” said Don Ashley, National Legislative Director of the TCRC.
“Our members should never have to drive through a wall of flames to move freight,” said François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada. “Railway workers keep this country’s economy moving, but no shipment is worth a human life. CN owes its workers, and the communities along those lines, answers.”
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference represents more than 10,000 workers in the Canadian rail industry. Teamsters Canada represents 130,000 workers across the country and is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
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Marc-André Gauthier
Director of Communications, Teamsters Canada
Cell: 514-206-0492 | [email protected]
