RUSSELL, Man. – There was a time when the rail line running past Wayne Bulischak’s home offered a convenient way to move grain out of the area.
Three wooden elevators stood adjacent to the track not far from his yard. A small community also formed there.
But the rail service was discontinued five years ago, and only one elevator remains. The railway ties were torn out last year, a sign that grain cars will never again go clacking past Bulischak’s yard.
The cattle producer wonders what will become of the rail bed. It’s a question that several farmers in the area are asking.
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They want to buy the land from CP Rail and consolidate it into their farms.
While the line was once a handy carrier of their produce, it is now seen as a nuisance by farmers whose land is divided by the stretch of grass and gravel zigzagging between Russell and Inglis, Man.
However, the farmers are not alone in their quest for the land.
Another group wants to convert it into a trail for outdoor enthusiasts. Under that plan, the rail bed would become part of the Trans-Canada Trail that will eventually span the nation from coast to coast.
Gordon and Rea Holovach are among the farmers who believe they should be given first option to buy the land. They worry about the prospect of trespassers if the rail line becomes a recreation trail open to the public. They wonder how well the trail would be maintained and who would be liable if someone traveling the trail strayed onto their property and got hurt.
The Holovach farm includes a quarter section of land divided by the line.
Besides worrying about having their cattle disturbed by people traveling the trail, Gordon and Rea are concerned that trail users will disrupt wildlife at a large slough on their property.
“To me, the line was expropriated from the farmers in the first place,” Rea said. “Why would we not be given an option to get it back?”
The farmers are supported by Wayne Collins, reeve for the Rural Municipality of Russell. He thinks the recreation trail could follow an existing road allowance rather than the abandoned rail line.
Collins wonders how well the trail will be maintained in the long term. He speculates that federal funding for the project will eventually dry up.
Crocus Trail Inc., the group overseeing development of the trail from Russell to Madge Lake, Sask., is preparing a maintenance plan.
Crocus Trail hopes community organizations will share in the trail’s upkeep. The group also hopes to get grants and government funding to hire students for cleanup and weed control.
“There’s no point in having a trail if we can’t maintain it properly,” said Jana Watt, a Crocus Trail spokesperson and economic development officer for Roblin, Man.
Watt offered assurances that trail crossings will be available to farmers whose land is divided by the rail line.
Liability insurance is also being looked at, she said. She expects the insurance will include some liability protection for farmers whose land borders the trail.
Watt doubts the trail would increase trespassing on adjacent farmland. However, she said the group will listen to farmers’ concerns.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a big concern once the trail is in place. It’s the unknown that’s scaring people more than anything else.”
Watt believes the local trail will benefit area residents. Besides offering another recreational option, she expects it will bring more tourism dollars to the area.
But the idea remains a tough sell in the farm community between Russell and Inglis.
Margaret Nernberg gathered dozens of signatures this winter from producers opposed to changing the rail line into recreational trail.
“All the farmers who live along there want it (the line) back in their names.”
She said farmers signing the petition share concerns about trespassing, vandalism, liability and an infringement on their privacy.
CP last week said it has not decided what it will do with the section of rail line.
