NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian National Railway and short line Battle River Railway are among six recipients of a total of Ca$33.1 million for infrastructure projects under Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund.
Transport Minister Anita Anand announced the funding, for projects in British Columbia and Alberta, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Richardson International port terminal in North Vancouver.
“These projects will reinforce our supply chains and ensure that goods move more efficiently across the country,” Anand said in a press release. “By improving rail connectivity, we’re not just strengthening internal trade, we’re also driving economic growth and resilience that will benefit every single Canadian.”
Project funding includes:
— $10 million to Canadian National for the Jaleslie Siding extension project, providing additional fluidity for rail traffic between Kamloops, B.C., and the Port of Vancouver. The siding, 19.4 miles west of Kamloops, is being lengthened from 7,569 feet; CN indicated it will enter service in 2025 as part of its 2024-25 Winter Plan.
— $6.2 million to NSD Development Corp. for the NSD Inland Port project, to develop a facility in the CN-served community of Terrace, B.C., 90 miles east of Prince Rupert, as a shipping hub for northwestern British Columbia. Plans include construction of road and rail access and transloading facilities for liquid and dry bulk commodities.
— $5.7 million to Battle River Railway NCG Inc. for a project to upgrade three bridges to Class 1 standards and develop an industrial park in Forestburg, Alberta, approximately 112 miles southeast of Edmonton. That project includes iconstruction of 15,000 feet of rail to serve the park. The 60-mile railway, a former CN branch line owned by area producers and residents, includes a 52-mile straight, the longest in Alberta.
— $5 million to Richardson International Ltd. for the North Shore Railyard expansion, wich will add 15 storage tracks at the North Vancouver Terminal, realign existing tracks and add crossovers and turnouts, and include new lighting, fencing and utilities.
— $3.5 million to Quasar Platform Inc. for the Digitizing Canada’s Rail Supply Chain project, to create a digital system for real-time monitoring of railcars and freight. The project includes installation of 10,000 GPS location sensors and data integration.
— $2.7 million to IntermodeX Logistics Ltd. for the Ridley North Off-Dock and Transloading expansion, building a container yard and establishing a transload facility at the Port of Prince Rupert. The project will include off-dock container storage and enhanced transloading facilities.
The National Trade Corridors Fund has provided more than $4.1 billion for rail, road, air, and shipping projects since 2017.
Once King Trump makes Canada our 51st state he’ll have his boy Musk transfer all that money to making ugly electric vehicles and useless rockets.