With under two weeks to go until the federal government must state its intent for a disputed Vancouver Island railway section, several First Nation board members of the group trying to revive the train services have resigned.

The five resigning Island Corridor Foundation board members cited the defeat of their Feb. 28 motion B次元官网网址� which was based on a provincial report flagging First NationsB次元官网网址� concerns about reviving rail on the 290 kilometres of tracks.

The foundation, which owns the line, has called for a return of passenger and freight services to address highway-constrained transportation needs on the Island, while also advancing climate and economic goals. However, the most modest price tags itB次元官网网址檚 put forward to revive rail have been in the hundreds of millions.

B次元官网网址淭here are so many priorities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities where it could be better spent,B次元官网网址� Brent Edwards, a Snaw-Naw-As First Nation councillor and one of the members who stepped down, told Black Press Media.

The federal government has until March 14 to decide whether it will fund infrastructure on a corridor segment that runs through Snaw-Naw-As. That Court of Appeal-imposed deadline was the result of a lawsuit launched by the Nanoose-area First Nation, which has argued the land was expropriated for an intended use that is no longer being used, following most rail services shutting down in 2011.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a safety concern, it gets in the way of access, weB次元官网网址檙e trying to do some economic development here and we canB次元官网网址檛 do that, we canB次元官网网址檛 plan those sorts of things when thereB次元官网网址檚 this fallow rail line laying through our community,B次元官网网址� Edwards said.

The board members who resigned represent the TsB次元官网网址檜ubaa-asatx, StzB次元官网网址檜minus, Snuneymuxw and Snaw-Naw-As First Nations. In a joint statement, the members said their defeated motion called for the foundation to step away from resuming rail activities and to explore what else is possible.

The motion was inspired by a recently released provincial report looking at the impacts of and possible uses for rail segments traversing the traditional territories of 14 Island First Nations.

B次元官网网址淕iven the impacts of the corridor on some of these communities, there is limited interest in restoring rail service, in its current location(s),B次元官网网址� the report states.

It also found that: the railway in some cases restricts access within communities; Nations being able to develop on their portions could provide significant employment and economic development; there were ongoing harmful impacts related to how the land was initially taken; that Nations donB次元官网网址檛 believe the Crown met its consultation requirements, and; thereB次元官网网址檚 concern about the health and safety of those living nearby.

B次元官网网址淲e no longer see a role for ourselves in an organization that sticks its fingers in their ears to a First Nations engagement report, that sticks its hand out to government for a billion dollars when there are far pressing matters,B次元官网网址� the joint statement said.

The former board members also called on the Canadian and B.C. governments to make it clear they will not B次元官网网址渟upport the continuation of an uneconomical railway that will waste public goods and continue to harm the potential of First Nations on Vancouver Island.B次元官网网址�

The federal government told Black Press Media it had not made a final decision as of early February and its approach would be informed by B.C.B次元官网网址檚 engagement.

The province sees the line as a significant goods mover as the population grows and First Nations have to be a part of that, as opposed to the past where trains ran through their land B次元官网网址渨hile contributing nothing to the quality of life of Indigenous people,B次元官网网址� B.C.B次元官网网址檚 transportation minister said Thursday.

B次元官网网址淭he ICF, as well as the province and the federal government, agree that rail restoration and reconciliation go hand in hand,B次元官网网址� Rob Fleming said in the B.C. legislature halls.

With a report from Wolfgang Depner

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