Cape Breton Post Re: ‘National dream abandoned,’ Jim Guy column, Cape Breton Post, Dec. 14, 2020

I want to compliment Jim Guy on his excellent transportation column that recently appeared in the Cape Breton Post. It is right on.

I was born in Cape Breton and eventually had to leave in the search for work. Having retired a few years ago, I spend a lot of time here and, since the pandemic began, do not see returning to Ontario for many, many months (if at all).

During the last 14 years of my career, I served as president of an international chemical company based in Toronto with operations in Canada, the United States and South America. As we expanded the company over a 20-year period, one of the first questions asked in terms of determining the location for a new manufacturing site was “does it have rail access” and questioned the frequency of service. Here in Canada, the continued viability of sites was in large measure held in the balance as CN walked away from serving smaller locations, and the service to be provided by the subsequent “short line.”

Additionally, as our various levels of governments drive (as they should) to reduce carbon emissions, the federal government should consider as part of their plan the reduction for the carbon-intensive trucking industry and move to rail where possible, and in the case of Cape Breton providing a fundamental piece of infrastructure for economic development.

As the country, province and municipality begin to emerge from the economic ravages of the pandemic, rebuilding this section of rail would partially satisfy at least a few of what they claim to be their goals.

Thank you for your voice on this matter.

Paul Timmons, P Eng.

Islandview

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