CANADA VOLUME 133 S NUMBER 255 S 1st SESSION S 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, November 6, 1995 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) The House of Commons Debates and the Proceedings of Committee evidence are accessible on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 16213 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, November 6, 1995 The House met at 11 a.m. Perhaps I may explain that the purpose of this motion is, in a way, to apply retroactively a provision that appears in Bill _______________ C–101. I imagine this will not be news to anyone who is familiar with the railway sector and especially with the decisions of the Prayers National Transportation Agency. As you know, when a compa- ny, either CN or CP, used to go before the National Transporta- _______________ tion Agency, permission to abandon lines was practically automatic. Bill C–101 now before the Standing Committee on Transport PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS provides that before a line is abandoned, it will first be offered for public sale. I should explain that if Bill C–101 is adopted in [Translation] its present form, railway companies will have to submit a three–year plan, starting in 1996. The fact remains, however, RAILWAY COMPANIES that some branch lines are already in the process of being abandoned, although interested groups or provincial govern- Mr. Michel Guimond (Beauport—Montmorency— ments may have shown an interest in continuing operations. Orléans, BQ) moved: That, in the opinion of this House, the government should oblige all railway The purpose of this measure is therefore to deal with part of companies that receive National Transportation Agency authorisation to abandon what has happened recently. However, if Bill C–101 is adopted branch lines or sections under the National Transportation Act, 1987, to offer as tabled, which means offering for sale prior to proceeding with such branch lines or sections for public sale before abandoning them. abandonment, our party will not object to the substance of the He said: Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to thank my bill. However, we will try to obtain extensions of the time limits colleague in the New Democratic Party, the hon. member for because some are really too short to allow for a proper evalua- Winnipeg Transcona, for letting me take his place this morning tion of the operations offered for sale. But we will have a chance and for taking my turn last Monday. As you know, last Monday, to discuss that later on. this House, at the behest of the Leader of the Government, went so far as to sit on the day a referendum important to the future of As I was saying, the purpose of this motion is to save Quebec and Canada was held in Quebec. Another demonstration segments of railway lines for which a decision of abandonment of love and affection from our colleagues in the Liberal Party. has been issued by the National Transportation Agency. Bill C–101 provides that the railway companies must offer for sale I just want to say that in Quebec, we have a useful motto: Je the segments they wish to abandon. Even considering all the me souviens. I can tell you Quebecers felt this decision was deficiencies of the abandonment procedure in Bill C–101, this highly improper, as was the demonstration of love and affection measure should make it easier for these segments to be taken in Montreal by 60,000 people on the Friday preceding the over by short line railway operations, because it would oblige referendum and financed by Canadian Airlines, Air Canada and railway companies to sell segments that are to be abandoned. VIA Rail. There are segments in Quebec that would probably be viable I repeat, we have a useful motto in Quebec: Je me souviens. I as short line railways: the decision of abandonment has already can tell you that as the transport critic, as soon as I get a chance I been issued, but the tracks are still intact. Today we have no will certainly return the favour to these three companies. guarantee that railway companies will first try to sell to short Motion M–494 reads as follows: line railways, in order to maintain segments. In fact, we could hardly expect railway companies to sell to short line railways if That, in the opinion of this House, the government should oblige all railway it is more attractive to sell a segment for uses other than railway companies that receive National Transportation Agency authorisation to abandon branch lines or sections under the National Transportation Act, 1987, to offer transportation. It is common knowledge that railway companies such branch lines or sections for public sale before abandoning them. in Canada own large amounts of real estate. They may prefer to 16214 COMMONS DEBATES November 6, 1995 Private Members’ Business speculate in real estate as opposed to continuing a railway very heavy and cannot be trucked. Merely looking at the state of operation. That is the point I wanted to make. our highways and superhighways is enough to again convince us how lax the federal government is, compared to the U.S., Public interest is not a consideration in commercial decisions when it comes to truck load limits. by railway companies. That is unfortunate because, as you know, in some cases these companies obtained the land around a As an illustration of the railway’s worth as a tool of economic right of way when this country was first settled. Furthermore, development, let me give the example of a cement plant project Canada expanded from east to west thanks to the railways. at Port Daniel in the Gaspe, in the riding where my spouse was Western Canada was developed thanks to the railways. These born. This is a village of some 3,500 people, with a very high companies were given crown land for their railway rights of way rate of unemployment—we are all aware of the state of the and now are acting more like speculators. fishing industry in Gaspe—and the developers interested in the cement plant have set two conditions. First, there must be a deep D water seaport, which the Port Daniel bay provides, and second (1110) the cement dust, or powder, or whatever it is called, must be shippable by boat or by railcar, thus making the presence of a In Quebec there are at least three major branch lines in this rail line a condition for the deal. CN is considering abandoning situation: Chapais, Lachute and Québec Central, totalling some the Gaspe rail line. Obviously, if there is no rail line, the 450 550 kilometres. Negotiations are currently under way concern- jobs that would be created by the cement plant will never see the ing some of these lines. light of day, because of the two conditions set by the developers. The effect of our motion would be to ensure that railway D (1115) companies negotiate in good faith with those interested in creating SLRs to run these branch lines. You will note that my I am pleased to inform the member for Bonaventure—Îles– trust in the national railways is rather limited. Had we had been de–la–Madeleine, who once again reveals that he is totally able to have faith in them, this motion would have been totally disconnected from his riding. He should, perhaps, go there a bit unnecessary; the necessity for it arises out of our less than total more often and be a bit more active. He should be aware that this confidence in them. was another of the requirements set by the promoters. The Government of Quebec has already done its part with What is a special intervention zone, such as the one the respect to the Lachute branch line by forbidding any change in Government of Quebec established for the Mirabel—Thurso its land use. If CP lets the situation get any worse, however, the railway corridor? Quebec’s act respecting land use planning and tracks that are in place will deteriorate and no longer be useable. development permits it to establish special intervention zones in order to resolve land development problems whose urgency or It is therefore important for the CP to put this branch line up seriousness justifies such an intervention. for sale promptly. It is also interesting to see, since Quebec does not of course possess the fullness of its powers that would have This is the first time, since the law came into effect in 1980, come with sovereignty, the concrete action taken by Minister of that a minister has used such power to declare a special Municipal Affairs and Regional Development Guy Chevrette in intervention zone by order. This decision stresses the impor- announcing this past October 16 that the rail corridor linking tance the government accords to maintaining the rail link Mirabel and Thurso would be declared a special intervention between Thurso and Mirabel to protect the economic develop- zone. Publication on October 11 in the Quebec official gazette of ment of the region. a draft decree to that effect had the immediate result of reserving the land covered by the decree for railway purposes and of I would also like to stress how important and how timely this forbidding any operations contrary to that use. matter is. We could perhaps come up with a short list to justify just how relevant and current our motion is. We could quickly I would like to take this opportunity to praise Mr.