Prairie Centre Credit Union has joined a long list of farm groups and rural municipalities that support the development of short-line railways in Saskatchewan.
The credit union has branches in 10 locations in the west-central part of the province, an area soon to be affected by branch-line abandonment.
“Nine of those locations are likely to be without rail and grain delivery in a matter of months if we don’t do something to change the direction we’re going in,” said Ray Ryland, president of the credit union’s board of directors.
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The credit union has prepared a newsletter and a survey that will be distributed Oct. 13 to 8,000 households within the region. Among other questions, the survey will ask members if they believe in the principle of short-line rail operations, provided they are viable, and if they approve of the Prairie Centre Credit Union devoting some resources to the issue.
“This is an attempt to try and gauge just how much support there is and frankly, how much understanding there is of the issues,” said Ryland.
“If a short line is to go ahead, there will obviously be some financial input required, so a financial institution in the area may well have some involvement.”
West Central Road and Rail is one of two short lines proposed for the region. The group pushing the proposal wants to buy nearly 500 kilometres of CN Rail track running from near Saskatoon to the Alberta border. It is awaiting CN’s response.
“It’s one of the highest volume (grain) branch lines that CN has in Western Canada,” said West Central’s secretary Bill Woods.
Over the last 10 years the line has hauled an average volume of 700,000 tonnes of grain per year. Woods is confident the group has a good case for building a short line.
“We are one of the highest volume grain lines that CN has and if this one isn’t viable, then that means there will be none.”
Woods is “tickled pink” that Praire Centre Credit Union has come out in support of short lines. While it doesn’t make the credit union a shoo-in as their banker if the proposal is approved, it doesn’t hurt.
“We certainly wouldn’t leave them out of the loop, that’s for sure after going on the record to support short lines.”
