The plan to re-start passenger rail service on Vancouver Island was dealt a serious blow Wednesday morning when the Regional District of Nanaimo announced it is withdrawing its commitment to provide almost $1 million to the project.

RDN board chair Bill Veenhof said the decision to pull the funding was unanimous and was announced after an in-camera meeting Tuesday night.

B次元官网网址淲e have terminated the contribution agreement with the Island Corridor Foundationn (ICF),B次元官网网址� Veenhof told The NEWS on Wednesday morning. B次元官网网址淎fter five years of waiting for this project to move forward, the board has grown tired of delays and has lost confidence that the day-to-day operations of the ICF reflect the interests of the RDN.B次元官网网址�

The RDN had committed $945,000 to the re-start of passenger rail service on the Island. Veenhof said the ICF was given 60-day notice of this termination on Wednesday morning.

Veenhof also said the board passed a motion saying the the RDN board B次元官网网址渄oes not support the retention or continuation of Granneke Management by the ICF board.B次元官网网址�

Former Liberal MLA Graham Bruce was hired to be the ICFB次元官网网址檚 executive director in June of 2009. Granneke is BruceB次元官网网址檚 consulting business.

The ICF issued a statement at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淭he Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is in receipt of the letter from the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) regarding the termination of the regional district grant agreement,B次元官网网址� read the statement. B次元官网网址淭he ICF will not provide comments until such time as the board has met to discuss this matter.B次元官网网址�

At 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Veenhof sent The NEWS what he called B次元官网网址渟peaking notesB次元官网网址� on the issue. They included:

B次元官网网址淲hen the board initially voted to support this project, the scheduling plan was significantly different than what it is today and at this time it does not appear that the project will move forward in the foreseeable future.     As elected officials and stewards of our constituentsB次元官网网址� tax dollars, the board feels that it is not good management of taxpayer funds to hold $945,000 for a project that will not move forward in the foreseeable future. The board feels that alternate uses for the corridor should be explored. The vote to provide notice of termination of the Contribution Agreement was passed unanimously. The Board feels that it is important to protect the Island Corridor land.B次元官网网址�

The ICF, a non-profit organization formed in 2003 to manage the railway, has been awaiting $7.5 million in federal government funding to restore passenger train service to Vancouver Island. Passenger service was discontinued in 2011 due to unsafe track conditions.

Earlier this year, the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation of Nanoose Bay initiated a civil lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court against the ICF and the Attorney General of Canada over the rail line.

The lawsuit asks for the return of Snaw-Naw-As land that was taken in the last century to build the railway, which runs through the reserve north of Nanaimo.

Laste last year, Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (SVI) officials said passenger train service could return to Vancouver Island as early as 2016.

B次元官网网址淢aybe by the end of 2016, but by early 2017 in time for the tourist season we expect passenger operations to resume,B次元官网网址� SVI director of community relations J. Singh Biln told The NEWS.

SVI is the operator of the E&N Railway, owned by the ICF.

Senior governments and five regional districts along the E&N line B次元官网网址� including the RDN B次元官网网址� had committed $20.9 million to the project.

While the RDN committed almost $1 million last year to help revive passenger rail service, directors representing Coombs/Errington, Bowser, Nanoose Bay, Parksville and Qualicum Beach voted against it but the motion passed on the strength of the RDN boardB次元官网网址檚 Nanaimo contingent.

Parksville Mayor Marc Lefebvre, who has consistently voiced concern that $20.9 million wonB次元官网网址檛 be enough to complete the repairs, was asked in that story last year what he thought of the comments from Southern Rail.

B次元官网网址淚 have no comment,B次元官网网址� said Lefebvre. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e heard that before, IB次元官网网址檝e heard a lot of dates over time.B次元官网网址�

Joe Stanhope, who represents French Creek on the RDN, said he was surprised by Souther RailB次元官网网址檚 optimism about the project.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 surprised knowing the infrastructure deficit is where it is that they are that optimistic,B次元官网网址� Stanhope told The NEWS.