2 November 2007
Railway Has Too Much Power
Ayr Ontario - We in and around Ayr are about to find out
the hard way.
CP Rail will be building their latest yard just west of Ayr. This new yard will do nothing to reduce the amount of shunting in
Cambridge. It will merely bring the same road blockages, noise, and environmental damage to prime farmland in a presently peaceful
valley.
CP has bought four farms in the Nith River Valley for their latest project. The river (part of the Grand River system) is just 150
metres from the tracks at one point. Even closer are pressurized gas and oil pipelines.
Under present federal law, once this starter yard is built, CP can expand it to suit themselves. They can store hazardous materials as
they see fit. But CP plans to bypass any public environmental assessment and they can probably get away with it!
We can expect the inevitable emergency vehicle and traffic delays and lots of noise around the clock. The noxious chemicals used for
servicing, refueling, and spraying on their property will leach into our groundwater, wells, and the river.
There are tested mitigation measures that could be built into this yard to lessen the impact of the unwelcome intrusion into our daily
lives. But CP Rail plans a yard on the cheap.
So far, they have shown no interest in upgrading their project to reduce the effects on this rural area. They prefer to have their
neighbours bear the brunt of their corporate ambitions while taking no responsibility themselves - just like they have done in
Cambridge.
We are currently gathering signatures for a petition to be tabled in the House of Commons by MP Gary Goodyear.
This petition will, among other things, request a review of all legislation regarding our national rail system because of the unfair
burden presently placed on citizens by the railways' unfettered powers.
We hope the residents of Cambridge will add their voices to ours.
Margaret Hicks - Ayr
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