City Council supportive of project to save rail line between 100 Mile and Squamish

Prince George City Council put their support behind preserving and revitalizing a rail corridor between Squamish and 100 Mile House.

According to a report prepared by Northern Development Initiative Trust attached to the Agenda, CN Rail announced plans to terminate its lease on the Squamish to 100 Mile House rail corridor, returning control to BC Rail.

The report said starting in July of this year, interested parties may assume operations for existing or new train services, and if no party should come forward, the corridor could be sold for net salvage value.

Northern Development Initiative Trust said they had heard from multiple communities that the railway is an essential transportation corridor for the region, and was asked to lead a consulting project.

“This project was initiated by the efforts of many of the Mayors along the line seeking funding from the Northern Development Initiative Trust, because they felt the provincial authorities were not moving, and they were concerned of the latter end of that spectrum,” said Peter Scholz, a Registered Professional Planner from Cairnstone Planning.

Scholz gave a brief history of railroading in the prairies where a similar situation happened.

“What happened in Saskatchewan, is that after any number of period, could be weeks, months or years, local farmers would get together and they would just get rights to a track that had been shut down,” he explained.

“They would get an old locomotive and they’d take a few day course in railroading and they’re off to the races, they’re moving grain in in the spring and they’re moving wheat out in the fall, and that is the birth of the short-line railway industry.”

Scholz said the goal of NDIT’s project is to facilitate what happened in Saskatchewan, but sooner, faster and more efficiently.

He also explained the Fraser Canyon has several issues, including an area where the CN and CPKC rails are very close to each other, as well as the Trans Canada Highway.

“Can you imagine a circumstance where all three lines are cut at the same time, due to landslide, or flood, or some other event?” Scholz said.

“If there is a protracted damage to infrastructure, like days or weeks or months, we can see a situation where the only way to get into the port of Vancouver is either to go through Washington State or to go through Prince George.”

Councillor Garth Frizzell said this is something that’s been on the radar of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, thanks to Councillor Trudy Klassen.

“We don’t want to shut the gate on it, this is in the strategic national interest of our country,” Frizzell said.

“This doesn’t require commitment at this point beyond finding out a way to make this work.”

When asked who makes the final decision, Scholz said it’s not a straightforward answer.

“At this stage we’re not trying to find a solution, we’re trying to get the actors in place so they can get into a room and negotiate these details,” he explained.

Council approved a resolution that will go to the North Central Local Government Association, as well as having Mayor Yu provide a letter of support for the project.