Okanagan Valley Railway number 2506 with 3550 at Vernon - 24 May 2005 Michael Taylor.

8 January 2012

Track Talk on Table with Transportation Minister

North Okanagan British Columbia - The fight to save a North Okanagan transportation corridor continues.
 
A delegation from the Regional District of North Okanagan will meet with B.C. Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom Wednesday to discuss the fate of the rail line between Spallumcheen and Grindrod.
 
"Hopefully we can protect the corridor for the environment, transportation, and future planning needs," said Patrick Nicol, RDNO chairperson.
 
"This new board hasn't had an opportunity to listen to the comments from the province and it needs to be brought up to speed."
 
Canadian Pacific's contractor, Okanagan Valley Railway, ceased line operations in August 2009, impacting businesses.
 
CP wants to abandon the line, but RDNO has been considering ways to maintain public access to the land.
 
Nicol and vice-chairperson Rick Fairbairn were originally scheduled to meet with Lekstrom but Enderby director Howie Cyr will also attend after a request was made by Jackie Pearase, rural Enderby director.
 
"The communities affected are Enderby and Area F and they should be represented," said Pearase.
 
"Howie Cyr (Enderby's mayor) was a councillor when this was first going on and he is very knowledgeable about the issue."
 
Coldstream director Doug Dirk questions the value of the meeting with Lekstrom.
 
"There have been meetings in the past that didn't bring the answers we wanted," he said.
 
"At some point we may have to say this is done because this is taking up staff time."
 
Richard Rolke.