RECENE'D FEB 14 2014
La Corporation de la The Corporat '' icMilf" Ville de Hearst t Town of Hearst t-,,'P<>
February 6, 2014
Honorable Lisa Raitt Federal Minister of Transport Tower C — 330 Spark Street Ottawa, Ontario: K1A ON5
Honorable Minister:
The Algoma Central Railway (ACR) passenger train running from Hearst to Sault Ste Marie is an essential transportation service for commercial outfitters, for vacationing resort entrepreneurs, for trappers and for owners of residential dwellings, cottages and cabins. The ACR is also a key source of tourism and economic activities for the outlying communities of Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa and Sault Ste Marie.
The closure of the passenger train would deprive access to dependent owners of a large number of these remotely located and isolated properties and wilderness sites along the railway line and would also result in the loss of real estate equity, of residential living quarters, of employment livelihood and of major business activities and jobs.
The Hearst community was shocked by the distressful news and supplementary blow to the Northern Ontario people.
To officially communicate its reaction, Town Council passed the appended resolution on February 4, 2014 requesting you to recognize the importance and the necessity of the ACR passenger train for the many desperate stakeholders dependent on the ACR as the sole means of access to their property and their livelihood and also for the communities of Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie whose economy is interweaved with the ACR in multifold ways.
To these ends, the reinstatement of financial assistance to support the operation of the ACR passenger train service between Hearst and Sault Ste. Marie is critical.
4341 • Fax: ( 705) 362- 5902 S. P./ P. O. Bag 5000 • 925 rue Alexandra Street • Hearst, Ontario • POL 1NO • Tel.: ( 705) 362-
e- mail: townofhearst@hearst. ca• site web www. hearst. ca Page 2
The resolution further calls upon the implementation of initiatives to join together all stakeholders to devise various options which would ensure a better financial performance of the ACR passenger train service.
Yours truly,
Roger Sigouin Mayor
Mayor Debbie Amaroso, City of Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Linda Nowicki, Town of Wawa Mayor Louise Perrier, Township of Dubreuilville Fred Sackaney, Chief, Constance Lake First Nation Mr. Bryan Hayes, MP Sault Ste Marie Ms. Carol Hughes, MP Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing Ms. Linda Savoury Gordon, Coalition Algoma Passenger Trains Mr. David McLean, President , CN Rail Mr. Conrad Lacroix, President, Hearst Economic Development Corporation Mrs. Lise Joanis, President, Hearst Mattice-Val Cote Chamber of Commerce Mr. Tom Dudds, CEO, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association Corporation de la Ville de Hearst/ Corporation of the Town of Hearst 925, rue Alexandra St. / S. P./ Bag 5000 HEARST, Ontario POL 1 NO Tel : ( 705) 362- 4341 / Fax : ( 705) 362-5902 e- mail: [email protected]. ca / web : www.hearst.ca
COPIE CERTIFIEE— CERTIFIED COPY
t--) Resolution No. g— ) 7
Proposee par: Conseiller Conrad Morin Appuyee par: Conseiller Gaetan Longval
CONSIDERANT que le service de train passagers ACR de Hearst a Sault Ste- Marie est un service de transport essentiel pour les pourvoiries situees a distance, les proprietes residentielles, les proprietaires de chalets et les communautes eloignees le long de la ligne et est egalement une source importante de tourisme et d' activites economiques pour les municipalites de Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa et Sault Ste- Marie, QU' IL SOIT RESOLU d' inviter le Ministre federal des Transports a reconnaitre ('importance du service passager ACR pour les communautes de Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa et Sault Ste- Marie et de continuer a soutenir financierement le fonctionnement du service passagers entre Sault Ste. Marie et Hearst afin que le CN Rail soit dans une position viable pour operer le service, et QU' IL SOIT EN OUTRE RESOLU de prendre des initiatives pour reunir toutes les parties prenantes afin d' elaborer differentes options qui assureraient une meilleure performance financiere de tour les aspects du service ferroviaire, dans l' avenir. ADOPTEE
Proposed by : Councillor Conrad Morin Seconded by : Councillor Gaetan Longval
WHEREAS the ACR passenger train service from Hearst to Sault Ste Marie is an essential transportation service for remotely located outfitters and residential and cottage property owners as well as outlying communities along the line and is also a key source of tourism and economic activities for the municipalities of Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa and Sault Ste Marie, BE IT RESOLVED that the Federal Minister of Transport be requested to recognize the importance of the ACR passenger train for the communities of Hearst, Dubreuilville, Wawa and Sault Ste Marie and to continue financial support for the operation of the passenger service between Sault Ste Marie and Hearst in order that CN Rail be in a viable position to operate the service, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that initiatives be taken to join together all stakeholders to devise various options which would ensure a better financial performance of all aspects of the rail service, well into the future. CARRIED
Adoptee lors de l' assemblee du Conseil tenue le
held on 4 = - 2014 Adopted by Council during a meeting February
Claude J. Laflamme, Administrateur en chef/greffier Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk