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The Honourable Lisa Raitt

MP For Halton

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

 

 

 

Dear Representative:

 

 

Re:  Railway Act

 

 

Our community is experiencing a tremendous upset to long-range plans because the existing Railway Act allows CN with their proposed intermodal terminal to override local municipal, regional and provincial plans.  The Town of Milton and Region of Halton plans were formulated after years of consultations, reviews and analysis at $5 Million dollar expense to the community.  It was believed by most involved that all this effort and expense would result in a superior community.

 

I understand the reason for the Railway Act one hundred years ago to link the country from side to side.  However, that need has long gone, and the railways are now all for-profit private international enterprises.  It would therefore seem reasonable to change the laws to reflect the current circumstances.

 

Why should any railway company that was given the power of the Railway Act to create a transportation corridor still have this power once the corridor was finished?

 

Why should any railway company be able to use the special and extraordinary powers of the Railway Act to build anything?

 

Why should any railway company with declared profit of hundreds of millions of dollars every year be able to ignore the regular building permit processes required by the people of Canada, business in Canada and even the municipal, provincial and federal government?

 

Would you consider taking up the cause of changing the Railway Act?

It is time for the Railway Act to be changed to put the Railways on par with the people of Canada and other businesses in Canada.

 

The special and extraordinary power of the railways under the Railway Act needs to be removed. No private company should be able to override the laws all other businesses and the people of Canada must operate under

 

What will you do to work to introduce changes to the Railway Act to prevent similar future atrocities by railway companies on municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments?

 

Yours truly,

 

 

 

 

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