City should lead on rail relocation

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/06/2019 (2304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kudos to Coun. Matt Allard for recognizing the time has come for Winnipeggers to have a conversation about what we can actually afford (Capital projects hit funding snag, May 29) when it comes to major infrastructure projects such as the Arlington Street Bridge, which has provided a major transportation link over the Canadian Pacific Railway yards since 1912.

Because of the deterioration of the structure and safety concerns, the bridge has been slated for replacement at a cost of between $319 million and $343 million in today’s dollars, potentially rising to closer to half a billion dollars by the time it is built.

The increased danger of oil spills such as the one in St. Lazare, the risk of explosions of bitumen carried in railcars and the exponential increase in costs of additional bridges and underpasses should lead to an automatic exploration of the advantage of removing the rail yards and possibly all the rail lines in Winnipeg.

Both Regina and Saskatoon have embarked on removing the rail lines from their cities, so why not Winnipeg?

Why is it that decisions like the Arlington Bridge seem to be taken in isolation? We suggest that the conversation needs to be much broader and more visionary. The Rail Relocation Project (RRP) group believes it is long overdue for our community to take a serious look at how the railways relate to our city and to undertake a proper cost-benefit study of rail relocation and rationalization.

Here’s why: the business of railway companies has changed dramatically over time, such that much of the goods transported by rail in the past are now being handled by trucks or airplanes. Railways in general have fewer and fewer customers within our city that rely solely on them for the transportation of their raw ­material and/or final products.

Most Winnipeggers are well aware that more and more trains travelling through our city are carrying oil. According to the National Energy Board, some 327,229 barrels per day were exported by rail across Canada in October 2018. That’s more than double the amount in October 2017, and apparently a string of record-breaking highs has followed. While none of this oil was destined for Winnipeg (which is absent of any oil refineries), much of it would have flowed through it. Perhaps the railway companies would prefer that these dangerous goods could have been transported around Winnipeg rather than through the very heart of it.

The RRP would not suggest that a disaster as large as the one which occurred in Lac-Megantic, Que., a few years ago is likely to happen in Winnipeg. However, we are aware that accidents do happen — witness the derailment that took place outside St. Lazare earlier this year involving 37 oil cars and about one million litres of crude oil being spilled; and consider also the more minor derailment which happened near The Forks in January 2015, involving nine cars.

For too long, Winnipeg has been hamstrung by the sheer magnitude of a rail relocation initiative. Two important studies have been done recently, one by Winnipeg businessman Art DeFehr, which analyzed the benefits of moving all rail lines out of Winnipeg, and the other by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, which outlines the steps needed to remove the CP Rail yards and the benefits to Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg continues to plan around the existing railways in our city, investing in infrastructure which, over the long term, will need to be replaced and, as such, eventually will become a liability for future generations. It’s what economists call stranded assets; infrastructure that has only immediate value but is soon outmoded. Much of the land currently used for rail yards might better be used to meet the needs of Winnipeggers — imagine if at least some of this land could be used for much-needed housing, business, recreational facilities, and/or improved transit and commuter cycling paths.

We are very aware of the important role that railways have played, and continue to play, in the life of our city. Any changes which might come about as a result of a proper study would see the role of railways strengthened. However, in the absence of such a study, we can only be sure of one thing — that the status quo will prevail for many years at great financial cost to Winnipeg.

For a successful and relevant study to take place, it will be imperative for the railway companies, in collaboration with the three levels of government, to be involved from the outset — both with respect to determining the exact nature of the study, as well as providing some financial support toward its costs. We estimate that a solid cost-benefit study could be accomplished at a cost of $1.5 million, a tiny fraction of the cost of replacing the Arlington Street bridge.

Research to date confirms that significant financing for rail relocation can be made available by the government of Canada, which has provided such support to other Canadian cities, including Edmonton and Regina. But for anything to happen, the City of Winnipeg needs formally to make the request. The time has come for Coun. Allard and his colleagues on city council to provide that leadership.

Lloyd Axworthy served as a Liberal MLA from 1973 to 1979 and a Liberal MP from 1979 to 2000, holding numerous cabinet portfolios, including transport, labour, employment and immigration and foreign affairs. He was president and vice-chancellor of the University of Winnipeg from 2004 to 2014 and is currently chairman of the World Refugee Council. Harry Finnigan served as director of the city of Winnipeg’s planning, property and development department from 2002 to 2007.