The provincial government have committed more funding for consultation and exploration of options for the E&N Rail Line. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

RAIL SERVICE

Decision on E&N rail service postponed through new funding, land returned to Snaw-Naw-As First Nation

Mar 14, 2023 | 9:36 AM

NANAIMO — The dream of rail being restored up and down Vancouver Island is staying alive.

Pushed by a March 14 deadline set by the B.C. Court of Appeal in late 2021, the provincial government committed $18 million in funding for “future corridor planning involving affected First Nations and regional districts.”

In conjunction with the funding, federal transport Minister Omar Alghabra and provincial counterpart Rob Fleming said 10.78-acres of land on Snaw-Naw-As First Nation territory designated for the E&N trail would be returned to the Nation.

Their statement said this is the first step in “the process of developing a shared vision for the future of the corridor with First Nations.”

Fleming added the corridor, which extends across a majority of the Island, is an important stretch and the province wants to see it preserved.

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“If the corridor is broken up and built over, it will be lost forever, and future generations will likely be unable to assemble a continuous transportation corridor of land like this again.”

He added any development of the corridor for rail use must involve First Nations participation.

It’s a prospect which was dealt a blow in recent weeks as members of the Island Corridor Foundation board who represent First Nations affected by the line, resigned.

The money meets a criteria set out by the court which stated the Island Corridor Foundation can continue exploring rail options, “if it is able to secure sufficient funding from government.”

Fleming’s promise of $18 million falls well short of the $400-700 million estimated to restore passenger rail service for a majority of Vancouver Island residents.

A 2021 provincial estimate suggested upwards of $728 million would be required, plus another $600 million for commuter service in Victoria.

Island Corridor Foundation countered with a business case in May 2022, saying it would be roughly $431 million to restart daily passenger and cargo service on the line.

“As a province, we must be thinking about this corridor in the context of today and its potential importance in the future,” Fleming said. “By the early 2030s, Vancouver Island will exceed one million residents and with that growth we need to consider the future value of the corridor for the movement of people and goods.”

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