The CN Intermodal Hub is once again causing anger, frustration and a lot of confusion for the Town of Milton and local residents.
A sign has appeared along Britannia Avenue saying the CN Rail Crossing at Lower Base Line will be closed as of Tuesday, July 4th. According to the posted signage, this closure will last two years. The thing is, as per the Town of Milton, this closure has not been approved.
This sign and ensuing road closure falls in Milton’s Ward 4. Speaking with the Regional Councillor for Ward 4, Sameera Ali, she says CN is ignoring all warnings and going forward with an illegal road closure.
If you see this sign on Bronte/Britannia & are wondering wth is going on, I can confirm that CN is proceeding with construction & local road closures without any approval from the @TownOfMiltonON !
I can tell you that no other private developer would be able to do this. pic.twitter.com/IzxrDOk4YS
— Sameera Ali 🇨🇦 (@ClrSameeraAli) June 30, 2023
Councillor Ali has been told by many residents in the area that this road closure would severely impact their day-to-day life just simply based on the length of it. People can deal with a two-month long road closure as a road gets upgraded, but she says this is an unapproved road closure that, despite constant reminders by the Town of Milton, CN has decided to hold anyway.
This would be akin to (imaginary) John Smith of Milton, Ontario deciding he doesn’t like the amount of traffic on a public road, so he’s going to buy some pylons, place them along the street, and close it off to said traffic. Mr. Smith in this scenario would be heavily fined.
The Town of Milton is using this situation to add to three separate legal proceedings that are taking place this year with CN Rail in regards to the CN Intermodal Hub. Ali says one has already taken place, in which the Town is waiting on the news, while two more are slated to start in a few months.
Over the last month or so, the Milton area, along with the rest of Ontario, has been dealing with off-and-on heavy, widespread smoke. The health concerns regarding this smoke has been well-documented, but Ali says that our local health concerns won’t be getting any better if the CN Intermodal Hub is built. In a previous statement when the hub was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Halton Municipalities opposed and continue to oppose CN proceeding with the truck-rail hub in Milton because “it does not comply with applicable provincial and municipal laws and will cause significant harm to air quality and human health.”
Councillor Ali agrees that CN’s action do align with bullying behaviour. She is making a public appeal to municipalities, residents, and local environmental groups to continue to stand with the Town of Milton in their fight against CN and their Intermodal Hub. You can learn more about that fight here.
On Monday, July 3rd, CN’s media relations team provided this statement:
“The Milton Logistics Hub was subject to an extensive environmental review process and was approved with 325 conditions designed to protect the community and the environment. With the approval of the Canadian Transportation Agency on May 19, 2022, CN plans to close Lower Base Line between First Line and Tremaine road to facilitate the re-alignment of CN’s mainline as part of the construction of Milton Logistics Hub. CN has made continuous attempts at collaborative discussions about the road closure with Halton Region, and the Town of Milton, following the May 2022 decision without significant traction.
“The scheduled Lower Base Line closure will be in place for an estimated two years. Traffic will be detoured using standard traffic management practices and will follow all appropriate safety protocols.
“For more information, members of the public should reach out at 1.888.888.5909 or milton@cn.ca.”
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