7 February 2006
Many Sides to Siding Issue
Crowsnest Pass - The presentation made by CP Rail to municipal representatives on
30 Jan 2006 is an example of a giant corporation's attempt to railroad -so to speak - a community.
From the perspective of Pass residents nothing good can come from the construction of a new railway siding in town. Unless these
residents own a couple thousand shares of CP Rail and even then the positive effect from the new siding on the corporation's overall
finances would be negligible.
Angry citizens often look to assign blame and in this case the blame can be spread far and wide. Blame the politicians, currently
resting in their graves, who gave CP Rail ultimate authority over the 50 feet of land on either side of the tracks. Blame Asia for
modernizing their economies, creating a massive appetite that Canadian railway-reliant resource companies are willing to
fulfill... for a price, of course.
As reported in this week's front page story CP Rail has laid down the Pass' options. In essence they've told the municipality to choose
either option 1, 2 or 3 - and if the municipality either cannot or is unwilling to make a decision then construction for the third
option will begin because it's the cheapest.
It seems like the entire municipal council opposes a new siding. First, assuming the previous assertion is correct, they should be
congratulated for breaking the "pro-business at all costs" stereotype of Albertans that is so rampant around the country.
Second, they should try to turn the tables, so to speak, on CP Rail. And the most effective way to do so is to play the environment
card. A new railway siding will affect the local environment. It is in the best interests of this municipality and its citizen that a
long and thorough study be undertaken so that CP Rail can realize just what they're messing with:
Not-In-My-BackYard-ism.
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