Pitt Meadows British Columbia - CP will be holding its third round of community engagement sessions around its expansion plans in Pitt Meadows.
 
The engagement period, which will begin on 7 Jan 2022 and last until 4 Feb 2022, will give residents of the community an opportunity to submit their feedback over CP's latest updates around the project.
 
CP's spokesperson Salem Woodrow, told The News that CP will be providing information and seeking feedback from the community on the results of its environmental effects evaluation, including proposed mitigation measures during the third round of engagement on the CP Logistics Park project.
 
"These consultation periods are important for us to hear from the community, which will be considered prior to submitting our application to the Canadian Transportation Agency. Community engagement has helped shape the design of our plans and project, including decisions to reduce the volume of liquid storage on site, and to add three noise walls based on a noise assessment," said Woodrow.
 
The upcoming feedback session would provide community members the opportunity to voice their opposition or support for the project.
 
Along with the feedback opportunity, CP will be hosting three virtual open houses, on 13 and 17 Jan 2022 and 1 Feb 2022.
 
"We look forward to hearing from members of the community about our proposed project, and anticipate filing our application to the Canadian Transportation Agency in the coming months," said Woodrow.
 
The city of Pitt Meadows, has been strongly opposed to CP's proposed Logistics Park expansion due to its potential adverse environmental, safety, health, community, agricultural, and infrastructure impacts.
 
The city's website urges residents to voice their opposition to CP and government representatives.
 
"Council is working hard to convey a strong and clear message to CP and their regulatory authorities that the Pitt Meadows community does not want this industrial park expansion, together our voice is stronger. The City urges community members to also write to senior government representatives," says the city's website.
 
Recently, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada told the city that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, had decided the CP Logistics Park Expansion Project was not reviewable under the Impact Assessment Act.
 
This prompted Mayor Bill Dingwall to express his disappointment in the decision, and his resolve to continue to voice strong opposition to CP, the Canadian Transportation Agency, and other agencies.
 
Earlier, the city had also responded to CP's proposed new logistics park development by identifying a disconnect between the burden placed on the city by the railway operations and its tax rate.
 
During the 2021 UBCM convention, the city brought up this issue of fair taxation and put forth a resolution to create fair taxation from railway operation.
 
This resolution received and endorsed by an overwhelming 90.4 percent majority.
 
However, this request to explore tax reclassification was denied by provincial minister Selena Robinson in November last year.
 
In response, Dingwall wrote to the minister expressing his disappointment over lack of consideration given to the overwhelming support the resolution received during the UBCM convention, and asked the minister to reconsider the decision.
 
Priyanka Ketkar.