Vancouver Island remains without passenger rail because the federal government refuses to provide the funding needed to restore service.
That was the message from the Island Corridor Foundation, the non-profit organization that aims to restore passenger rail service to the Island, during its annual general meeting at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre last week.
Judith Sayers, ICF board co-chairwoman, told a conference room of about 50 people that her organization expected to have $7.5 million in funding from the federal government by now, but hadnB次元官网网址檛 received a single dollar.
One reason for the delay is due to a recent filed against the ICF and the Attorney General of Canada by the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation over the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, which runs through its traditional territory. Snaw-Naw-As claims the land was wrongfully taken from it years ago to build the railway and is seeking to have it returned.
B次元官网网址淚t took the federal government quite a few months to respond to that [lawsuit] and when they did they told us they would not be giving us any funds until we resolved that,B次元官网网址� Sayers said, adding the foundation and Snaw-Naw-As were unable to reach a private settlement and the federal government wonB次元官网网址檛 do anything to resolve the issue.
B次元官网网址淚n this instance, they have just put the burden on us,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e are always willing to work with the Snaw-Naw-As and we would like to see that resolved and we would like to move beyond that. Therefore we havenB次元官网网址檛 received federal funds.B次元官网网址�
The foundation has been expecting the federal $7.5-million grant to help repair the tracks .
Derek Ollmann, president of Southern Railway, the sole operator on the track, told the audience that his company has lost $5 million and let go of 12 employees since the company began operations on Vancouver Island in 2006. Despite the loss, he said they have no plans to leave the Island and believes passenger rail can be economically viable once track upgrades are complete.
B次元官网网址淔reight and the rail service on Vancouver Island is real and it is growing,B次元官网网址� Ollmann said. B次元官网网址淲e are not packing up our bags to leave. We are actually unpacking to stay.B次元官网网址�
Brent Edwards, Snaw-Naw-As chief, said the First Nation intends to get its land back because as long as it isnB次元官网网址檛 being used for its intended purpose it isnB次元官网网址檛 benefiting his people.
B次元官网网址淭here is no benefit to Nanoose at all for being part of the Island Corridor Foundation. YouB次元官网网址檙e in our way and youB次元官网网址檙e not using it for railway purposes,B次元官网网址� he said.
Edwards told the B次元官网网址 Bulletin that he couldnB次元官网网址檛 comment on the lawsuit because it was still before the courts. He said itB次元官网网址檚 doubtful the ICF will ever get passenger rail on the Island and that the railway land could be used in other ways to improve the lives of his people.
B次元官网网址淲e would like to see them pull that track and let us get on to developing that property for the benefit of our members,B次元官网网址� Edwards said.
Graham Bruce, the foundationB次元官网网址檚 chief executive officer, said passenger rail has a future on Vancouver Island that includes Snaw-Naw-As, adding that it would be unwise to rip up the tracks because effective rail service could generate tourism opportunities and reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
He said he understands the position of Snaw-Naw-As and hopes the parties can come to some kind of agreement that will allow rail to move through the community.
B次元官网网址淭he advent of rail on Vancouver Island was not a happy occasion for our First Nation communities. There is a long history and a real history and we are trying to be respectful of that and deal with it as best we can,B次元官网网址� Bruce said.
