CN may close Transcona's Midway:

 

 

Protesters parade in rail-yard shortcut

Winnipeg Free Press - Aldo Santin

 

March 21, 2004

A small group of Transcona residents walked through CN Rail's Transcona Yards yesterday in support of their claim that they have a right to use the property, but a railroad spokesman said such walks might not happen again the future. CN Rail spokesman Jim Feeny said the railroad is considering ending its decades-old practice of allowing area residents to use a shortcut, known as the Midway, through the railway yards.

\"Our position is the Midway is private property and we're under no obligation to allow anyone to gain access,\" Feeny said yesterday. \"Because of the (protest), we allowed people to walk through yesterday... but for the future, this is the issue we have to deal with.\"

Led by civic, federal and provincial politicians, about 20 people walked through the Transcona Yards to protest CN Rail's decision to deny public access through the site during the four-week strike that ended only last week. They were also calling on the railroad to drop trespassing charges against two people who tried to use the Midway during the strike.

\"It was part of the arrangement when the railroad moved here... that the residents would have the right to cross here in perpetuity,\" said area resident Frankie Demarchi, adding he braved the cold yesterday to show his support for the right to use the Midway.

The politicians -- Transcona city councillor Russ Wyatt, MP Bill Blaikie and MLAs Daryl Reid and Bidhu Jha -- said they want CN Rail to meet with community representatives to ensure access through the yards is not disrupted in the future.

Wyatt said the railroad property divides Transcona for a four-kilometre stretch. He said it's impractical for residents to walk around the rail yards to reach key bus stops on the other side.

Wyatt said the railroad was wrong to close the Midway during the strike and to charge two people with trespassing. He said common law and the concept of past practice give the public the right to walk through the rail yard.

Feeny said the Midway was opened yesterday morning for the first time since the strike began. He said the railroad was disappointed with the protest organized by Wyatt, adding that No Trespassing signs posted during the strike could be reposted permanently.

Feeny would not comment when asked if CN would be prepared to drop the trespassing charges. He said only that the railroad supports the decision of its police officers to charge the two people.

Go to Bill's special CN Strike section.