Banff passenger rail project still working on provincial and environmental support
An ambitious proposal to bring daily rail service between Calgary and Banff is waiting on provincial dollars to secure the next step in making it a reality.
The company behind the project - Liricon Capital - says it's looking for roughly $10 million from the province in the near future to go along with $750 million already committed by the company and Canada Infrastructure Bank for building the line.
Jan Waterous of Liricon Capital said her company has already put up roughly $105 million and is waiting on the province to commit. But as recently as Monday, Premier Jason Kenney said that he's concerned about the cost to taxpayers.
"So far, we have not seen an economic case," Kenney said. "We are not prepared to write an unlimited cheque."
"We are always prepared to make strategic investments in capital infrastructure," Kenney continued. "But we don't think the government of Alberta's core business is to provide massive decade-long subsidies to operations of what is ultimately a private business."
But Waterous - who is a part owner of the project - says the comments misrepresent what her group is proposing.
"If this train costs more than the $1.5 billion that the government studies have said it will cost, that is on Liricon," Waterous said. "With no risk to the province, zero risk to the province.”
She said that the commonly used figure of $30 million a year for 50 years doesn't take into account a cost sharing plan that would reduce the province's burden if the service attracts enough passengers.
"We can move that down considerably and possibly to zero if we had other incentives to increase ridership,” Waterous said.
The premier has also had vocal praise for the plan - touting its promise of significantly reducing traffic on the Trans Canada Highway, reducing emissions and potentially easing Banff's staff accommodation and occasional labour issues.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
But prominent environmental groups say they have their concerns about the potential for increased visitors and for wildlife such as grizzly bears and elk to be hit by trains or unable to move freely across the busy valley.
The potential doubling of trains within the region is only going to exponentially increase the impact on wildlife if connectivity is not addressed," says Josh Welsh, with Y2Y. "If underpasses, overpasses and fencing are not provided."
Linear disturbances such as roads, rail lines or power lines all have differing degrees of impact on many wildlife species, particularly grizzly bears.
The bears often cover huge distances pursuing food or mates, and transportation corridors are a significant cause of death for the provincially threatened species.
Waterous said her group is looking at safety and mitigation measures, but cautions much of that work comes later in the planning and engineering phases.
"The overriding intention here is to make it a lot better than it is now," Waterous says. "To put in mitigations that will ensure that wildlife is in fact protected more so than it is now."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.