Last week, rail tracks disappeared from beside Loggers Lane. But don't expect to see the fences down any time soon.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, CN Rail crews were removing the rail from the spur line that ran past downtown to the Oceanfront, CN Rail spokesperson Jim Feeny confirmed in an email to The Chief.
The line is no longer needed for rail operations, he stated.
The work sent a flurry of speculation through the community. Last April, the District of Squamish acquired two acres of industrially zoned Mamquam Blind Channel waterfront land through a provincial government program. With plans to convert the lot into a park, municipal staff and CN Rail have been discussing public access agreements to allow people to cross the tracks.
CN Rail did not comment on the agreement or where talks are at. Instead, Feeny directed questions regarding the land's future use to the district.
CN Rail is in the process of negotiating with BCR Properties to return the rail corridor to property managers of the former British Columbia Railway Co., district spokesperson Christina Moore wrote in an email to The Chief. As a result, municipal staff remain in discussions with BCR toward securing access. Officials will update the community when such an agreement is reached, she stated.
We are in contact with both BCRP and CN to accelerate this process, Moore wrote.
Removing the railway tracks to the Oceanfront is a lost opportunity, said Mike Wallace, Sea to Sky Forestry Centre Society president. Rail, road and marine accesses are a key part of economic development, the local forestry advocate said.
