10 July 2010

Push Continues for Railway Track

Vernon British Columbia - Lobbying to save a North Okanagan rail line is reaching new heights.
 
Vernon Mayor Wayne Lippert has talked to federal Treasury Board president Stockwell Day over preserving the rail corridor between Armstrong and Sicamous, and a meeting is also scheduled with provincial Transportation Minister Shirley Bond.
 
"We want to help move this forward," said Lippert, pointing out that the loss of the rail line is having a significant impact on the forestry, agriculture, and fibreglass industries.
 
"It brings a lot of business and it's important. We need to keep jobs here."
 
Okanagan Valley Railway stopped operating the 13-kilometre, CP-owned line last summer, and there is concern CP may go through a process to completely abandon the track.
 
The North Okanagan Regional District has informed CP that it has an interest in the line and it is pushing senior government to ensure the track is available to other companies that may want to operate it.
 
"It's really encouraging to see that there's an interest with the federal government to be involved in the discussion," said Will Hansma, Spallumcheen mayor.
 
"The ultimate goal is to have the line operated successfully. There is a shortline operator wanting to do this and all they need is the opportunity."
 
Lippert has investigated a model on Vancouver Island where a community trust was formed to administer a rail line and the company that once owned it received a tax receipt for transferring it over.
 
He also says that individual communities can designate rail lines as transportation corridors as a way of preventing other land uses from occurring there.
 
Richard Rolke.