CALLING ALL CANADIANS
Contrary to the C.B.C. announcement (Dec. 20,1999) that the Canadian National Railway is joining an American Railway Company, it should be loudly asserted that the C.N.R. BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF CANADA, who paid for it.
When the C.N.R. was launched in 1923 as a state-owned system, it was, according to Canadiana Encyclopedia, "financed by the bottomless purse of the public treasury." It has been one of the greatest railway systems with routes that would have extended right around the world. It was the first major Canadian railway to have diesel-electric locomotives, with a centralized traffic control. The C.N.R. played a major part in the building, linking and servicing of Canadian community and agricultural needs from sea to sea.
Although financially reorganized by Donald Gordon in 1950, it was summarily shorn by the Tory Transport Committee of 50% of its services in 1989 without proper consultation. It had already cut back on the excellent track servicing of previous times that had provided safe transport which many still prefer with good reasons.
In her book, "Parcel of Rogues", Maud Barlow makes a reasonable plea for good sense in retaining the social, economic and environmental use of railways, rather than increased traffic with automobiles and trucks that smog the planet. Furthermore," according to the latest issue of the International Energy Agency’s annual publication , World Energy Outlook, there is a prospect of a one-way oil price shock early in the next decade that changes the present economic and political agenda profoundly. The assumptions of sustained economic growth and stabilized unemployment will be blown out of the water."(1)
The National Post (Jan.17,2000) has a headline article expressing the expectation that regulatory action will be sought to thwart the proposed cross border merger between the CNR and the much bigger Texas based railway. Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Severe reservations have been raised in the cabinet because of the impact on Canadian farmers and small communities where the CNR is still a key transportation link ,as railways with an 80 per cent American ownership would be unlikely to respond to Canadian needs. Seaports, including Vancouver and Halifax would be threatened. It is also suggested that railway traffic would be forced to be opened for the use of competitors and to abandon branch lines. Doubtless the Canadian Pacific Railway would also be threatened by such a concentration of market power. Mr. Paul Tellier would be expecting a commanding position as he is now the CNR chief executive, but as he was formerly the federal government’s most senior bureaucrat, how long would he be involved?
The Prime Minister is said to be unperturbed.
Well, remember the cartoon when the "free" trade deal was signed by Mr. Mulroney, showing that individual dressed as Santa Claus going down the chimney of the White House to present the contents of his bag to President Reagan- said bulging contents being Canada, our country?
But it is the Canadian citizens that are still holding this bag, and who still have the pride that implemented the Canadian Bill of Rights. Don’t we?
(1) Fleming, David, "Decoding a message about oil," in Watershed Sentinel, Dec./99-Jan./2000.,p.24-27.
from Sue Frazer, 3715,Morgan South Cresc. Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y6B9. fax 250-723-4666.
Jan.20,2000.