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Province ups income assistance for Churchill recipients, works to mitigate rail closure effects

Manitoba Infrastructure’s Emergency Measures Organization said June 22 that representatives of 15 agencies from eight provincial departments as well as federal government officials are meeting regularly with the Town of Churchill and private sector p
Colorado motorcyclist Steve Green, who rode a motorcycle from Denver to Churchill with his friend Ri
Colorado motorcyclist Steve Green, who rode a motorcycle from Denver to Churchill with his friend Richard Whittaker June 9-14, said no part of the track between Gillam and Churchill is covered with water and that the damage that is there appears fixable.

Manitoba Infrastructure’s Emergency Measures Organization said June 22 that representatives of 15 agencies from eight provincial departments as well as federal government officials are meeting regularly with the Town of Churchill and private sector parties affected by Hudson Bay Railway owner OmniTrax’s suspension of rail service between Gillam.

The province also said in a news release that senior officials are in contact with OmniTrax seeking clarification on the engineering assessment and repair plans for the line in an attempt to gain a clearer understanding of the challenges affecting the repairs and timelines for the work to be completed.

The province has also increased the northern food allowance for at least 100 Churchill residents on employment and income assistance to 105 per cent above the rate for Manitobans south of the 53rd parallel, which is the same rate provided to Manitobans in remote communities without direct access by all-weather road, rail or water. The Manitoba government is also working with t federal government o accelerate work on adding Churchill to the list of communities eligible for the Nutrition North food subsidy program and continues to provide its own subsidy through the Affordable Food in Remote Manitoba program.

Three public-private teams are also working on solutions to deal with ongoing supply and storage challenges, particularly those concerning food availability, fuel supply and logistics co-ordination.

Flin Flon NDP MLA Tom Lindsey said in a June 21 press release that the Premier Brian Pallister’s government should send inspectors to assess the damage to the rail line after Steve Green and Richard Whittaker of Colorado made a six-day motorcycle trip from Denver to Churchill along the rail line June 9-14.

“Weeks have passed since rail service was disrupted to Churchill,” Lindsey said. “There is still no action on the part of OmniTrax, and there has been no meaningful commitment of support from the Pallister government to the people of Churchill. The premier can step up by immediately sending workers to do inspections and assess the extent of the damage along the rail line to make sure repairs can begin as soon as possible. The people of Churchill are experiencing the failed policies of privatization. The Pallister government needs to show leadership for the people of Churchill, and they can do that today by committing provincial inspectors to assess the extent of the damage. The people of Churchill need to know when they can expect to have rail service again.”

Green told CBC News that he recorded and took photos of 14 washouts between Gillam and Churchill but that there was no water covering any part of the track. Green said the condition of the line wasn’t very good, with old, worn rail ties and too few culverts in some locations but that tracks themselves were fine. The biggest washout the pair saw was about 120 feet, or 36.5 metres, long and just over a metre deep.

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