GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTS IN NORTHERN QUEBEC PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE
SEPT-ÎLES —Tshiuetin Rail Transportation will proceed with capital improvements to the passenger rail service between Sept-Îles and Schefferville, Quebec, through Emeril, Newfoundland and Labrador, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada.
An investment of $2.7 million for the rail service improvements was announced today by Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
The federal investment will fund railway track rehabilitation, the replacement of passenger railcar windows, the purchase of vehicles and equipment, and the provision of a generator and water services at the maintenance-of-way camp at Esker (located between Emeril and Schefferville).
"Tshiuetin Rail Transportation provides a vital link for isolated communities in Northern Quebec and Labrador," said Mr. Gourde. "Our government's investment will contribute to the economic and social well-being of Schefferville-area residents who rely on the rail services."
"Our government is proud to continue its support for this important service for people living and traveling to and from these remote communities," said Minister Cannon. "This investment will allow Tshiuetin Rail Transportation to upgrade the rail line to better support safe and effective rail services."
The communities of Matimekush/Lac John and Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam and the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach own Tshiuetin Rail Transportation jointly. Tshiuetin was the first First Nations company to own and operate a railway in Canada when it acquired the Menihek subdivision from the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway in December 2005. In 2007, Tshiuetin transported 15,000 passengers.
"On behalf of the three Band Councils, I am pleased to thank the Government of Canada and its representatives for their continued work with Tshiuetin Rail Transportation," said Mr. Tommy Vollant, President of Tshiuetin Rail Transportation. "This funding will ensure the continued operation of the first railway owned and operated by the First Nations, a source of great pride for us. On behalf of the community and all of the people who travel with Tshiuetin Rail Transportation, thank you."
Rail is the only surface transportation mode available in Schefferville and is used by First Nations people in the area to travel to their traditional hunting, fishing and trapping territories on a year-round basis, and for community re‑supply.
Federal funding comes from Transport Canada's Regional and Remote Passenger Rail Services Class Contribution Program. The program ensures that safe, reliable, viable and sustainable passenger rail services are provided to certain areas of the country where these services are either the only means of surface transportation for remote communities, or an alternative means of transportation for rural communities. These services also support economic activities in the mining exploration, recreation and tourism sectors and provide an essential lifeline for isolated communities.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2008/08-h107e.htm
Stumble It!
"Federal funding comes from Transport Canada's Regional and Remote Passenger Rail Services Class Contribution Program."
Considering that the one main reason why Canada hasn't invested in a national hi-speed rail service, namely that we are too small a population, too thinly scatted (ie we are living "remotely" from one another), does the above investment in Quebec signal a reversal of this heretofore thin excuse?