Although prairie farm groups are generally pleased with the federal government’s announcement of $175 million to build and repair western Canadian roads, they say its little more than an acknowledgement of the problem.
“It’s not significant numbers for the kind of damage that’s being done,” said Don Dewar, president of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers.
“It’s a token gesture.”
National Farmers Union executive director Darrin Qualman wouldn’t even go that far. He can’t understand why anybody would be happy with the announcement that taxpayers have to cough up more money for roads.
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“This is bad news. This is an indication of just how large the road damage problem is.”
Dewar questions the rationale behind dividing up the funding based on the amount of grain-dependent branch lines in each province.
“If you have more grain-dependent branch lines, then in theory you have more railroad capacity and there’s probably less need to move on the roads.”
But despite that, he said the percentages ended up being about what they should be.
Sinclair Harrison, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said the money is basically a continuation of the Canada Agri-Infrastructure Program that was instituted shortly after the Crow Benefit was eliminated.
He said the $20 million Saskatchewan will receive each year is a good first step, but it’s a long way from the $50 or $60 million needed annually to maintain the province’s roads.
“We’re not out of the woods yet.”
Harrison said most of the CAIP money was spent on roads leading to inland terminals and hog barns.
“I think we’re going to have to go out further this time.”
Senior government officials say the money will predominantly be spent on municipal grid roads rather than secondary and primary highways.
Harrison and other farm leaders believe that’s where it should go, but Wayne Bacon doesn’t.
“The major highways are the ones that are taking the biggest beating right now,” said the president of the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association.
Rod Scarlett, president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, said the $6 million Alberta will get on a yearly basis will provide a quick fix for some of the worst roads, but it won’t go far toward solving the deterioration.
He said the money represents a small fraction of the $600 million in fuel excise taxes collected by the federal government from Alberta residents.
Dewar would also like to see the government reinvest those fuel tax dollars back into the road system.
Harrison said there was one other piece of the grain transportation announcement that will have a significant impact on prairie roads. If the legislation passes, railways will have to pay compensation of $10,000 per mile for three years to communities where branch lines are abandoned.
“Most if not all of that money will find its way back to the road system in those affected municipalities.”
