‘Quit being a bully’ over rail repairs, Hay River MLA tells CN

Hay River South MLA Vince McKay has called on rail giant CN to change its mind about funding repairs to the line after wildfire damage last year.

Officials say CN does not intend to repair a 30-km stretch of track between Hay River and Enterprise unless government funding is provided.

The NWT government, Imperial Oil and others rely on the Hay River rail terminus. For example, the rail line supplies barges that ordinarily carry goods to downstream communities each summer.

At the moment, goods are being offloaded at a rail yard in Enterprise and must be trucked to Hay River or any other destination.

“It’s important for CN to essentially quit being a bully and try to work with the Town of Hay River and the government to get that line built,” McKay told Cabin Radio.

McKay is also the NWT’s communities minister. He said he was speaking in his capacity as one of the town’s two MLAs, the other being Premier RJ Simpson.

Last week, McKay made public a letter he had written to CN in which he called the lack of repairs to the line “truly astonishing” and described it as “neglect.”

“I implore CN to engage in meaningful dialogue with local stakeholders to fully comprehend the repercussions of its decision and to make informed choices,” he wrote.

“Failure to do so not only exacerbates the damage to GNWT infrastructure without due compensation but also has enduring ramifications for the viability of the port of Hay River and the logistical capabilities of supplying the North.”

Referring to CN’s apparent request for government funding, McKay added in the letter: “Your request for partnership to rebuild prompts me to wonder whether you engaged in partnerships with Canada’s Indigenous groups when you initially constructed these rail lines across their lands for corporate gain. It’s perplexing why you seek support now when such considerations were overlooked previously.”

CN did not respond to an interview request sent on Thursday last week. McKay said the company had not acknowledged his letter.

Previously, the rail company said in a written statement: “CN has repaired and restored service to a majority of the rail line that runs north of the Alberta border, following last year’s wildfires. We continue to have discussions with our customers in the region, and we are committed to working with them to find solutions that meet their needs within our existing network.”

The company was referring to the line between Alberta and Enterprise, which was back in service by October last year after August’s wildfires.

McKay said contractors had told him the cost “wouldn’t be that much” – without providing a dollar figure – to repair the damaged line.

“I’m shocked that they’d actually not repair it. But you know, it’s pretty common in a big corporate world to just chop away at small things like that,” he said.

“I’m sure the GNWT will put up a good fight to try to get this line reinstated.

“The impact to Hay River is big, and I think CN hasn’t looked at that picture as a whole. They really need to come here and see it … the president’s yearly bonus is probably more than what it would cost to repair that line.”