Governments announce intent for Island corridor

The court-imposed deadline for deciding the future of the Island rail corridor arrived yesterday, but there is still much work to be done to decide the fate of the former E&N Rail line.

“In September 2021, the British Columbia Court of Appeal asked the federal government to decide by March 14, 2023, on restoring the railway corridor or allowing a segment of lands to vest in Canada for the use and benefit of the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation,” said a joint statement by the federal and provincial governments, explaining that the decision was made to return 11.4 acres to the Snaw-Naw-As.

The corridor still has tremendous potential for Vancouver Island, which is expected to reach a population of more than one million people in the next decade.

“To that end, we are committing $18 million to allow for future corridor planning involving affected First Nations and regional districts,” BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming said. “The funding will also allow First Nations to assess identified concerns such as flooding, access, noise, or safety issues where the corridor crosses their land.”

The Island Corridor Foundation had been waiting for the governments to announce their intention, and will now begin reviewing options for the best use of this important transportation link.