As local life recovers from the deep freeze and North American travel resumes, Chris West thinks there’s a transportation lesson we can learn from the last three days.

The St Marys businessman and founder of the ‘Save VIA’ group will be one of three panelists tonight at the Local Community Food Centre.

The Canadian documentary ‘De-Railed’ will be screened and then a discussion about the future of the railways in our nation will take place.

West says that while roads, highways and airports grinded to a halt during the polar vortex, the trains kept chugging along.

The doors open at 612 Erie Street in Stratford tonight at 6:30pm.

The film screening begins at 7:00pm.

Sheila Clarke from the local branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women and Jassamine Tabibi from the Huron Perth Transportation Task Force will also address the crowd.

More information can be found on Facebook.

Chris West’s online petition at MoveOn.org continues to gather signatures.

As of today, it sits at 3918 names.

It will be sent along to the federal government when it runs out of momentum.