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C16 - Sunday, March 11, 1984 - North Shore News

THE CROW’'S NEST PASS

Crow’s Nest Pass Agreement was

signed in 1897. It provided federal assis-
tance for the construction of a 300 mile rail
line through the Crow's Nest Pass in the Rocky
Mountains. In return, the railways agreed to a
fixed rate of half a cent per ton per mile to
transport grain.
In 1897, the Crow Rate covered the full cost of
moving grain. By 1982, it covered only 20% of
the railways’ real costs. The Crow Rate was
never intended to prevent the modernization
and expansion of our railway transportation
system, or to create distortions in Western

€anada’s economy. But these were the effects
it produced.

THE WESTERN GRAIN
TRANSPORTATION ACT.

’ The new Western Grain Transportation Act is
more than simply a piece of legislation that
brings western grain freight rates
into line with today’s costs.
The new Act means the revi-
talization of a rail system
that has been detenorating
for twenty years.
Billions of dollars in
new investment means
farmers will be able to
ship all they grow. And
it means renewed economic
growth for all of Canada.

CANADAS RAIL EXPANSION.
TO MEET THE DEMANDS
OF A GROWING WORLD.

The enactment of the Westem Grain Trans
portation Act on January 1, 1984 marked the
beginning of the largest national construction
undertaking since the building of Canada’s
railways in the last cen
tury Over the next ten
years, the Government of
Canada and the national
railways will invest up to
$16 5 billion in our rail
(ransportauion system!

|

Over the bast two decadcs,
there has been a continual mse in world

demand for grain and grain products
At the same timc, a growing world
has increased demand for coal

from British Columbia,

A Transpon Canada
Lloyd Axworthy Minister

_ tunnel through the

sulphur from Alberta, potash from Saskatchewan
and other Canadian resources.

All of these products move by rail, and in peak
years like the 1978/79 crop year, the system
backs up. That year, Canada lost about $600
million in export grain sales. The only solution
is to increase rail capacity. And that's exactly
what the Western Grain Transportation Act

is designed to do.

Billions of dotlars will be spent on labour, ma-
terials and equipment over the next ten years.
The new Act stipulates that Canadian suppliers
be used, and that purchasing must be done in
the region where the investment is being made.
This will spur industrial development and
economic growth right across the country.

375,000 JOBS FOR
CANADIANS

Canada’s Rail Expansion —
is expected to create
375,000 jobs in a wide ,
range of occupations, {/
over the next decade.
Major projects like ten
miles (16.1 km) of new

Roger's Pass, double trac king many parts of the
system, and expanded repair and port facilities
will create Chousands of construction jobs.

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Transports Canada
Lloyd Axworthy, Ministre

Many more jobs will be generated in the
manufacturing and resource sectors, to
produce the materials needed for expansion.
And an expanded rail system will require
additional rolling stock and’maintenance
support, creating still further employment.

CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS
FIRST IN LINE.

Manufacturers across the
country will feel the impact
of rail expansion
orders almost
immediately.
Cranes, bridge
materials, cross ties,
rail fastenings, steel :
fabrication, track maintenance ‘¢ machinery and
workshop and construction equipment will be
needed. Further orders will follow, as the rail-
ways begin to expand their locomotive fleets
and acquire more rolling stock.

ELECTRONICS AND
TECHNOLOGY.

Over $500 million will be invested to make
Canada’s rail system one of the most technolo-
gically advanced in the world. Canadian manu-
facturers will supply centralized traffic control
systems, Computer controlled signal systems
and hot box detector systems.

STEEL AND LUMBER.

In 1984 alone, nearly 5 million ties will be
ordered from Canadian lumber suppliers. This,
and other huge orders, along with additional
work in wood treatment plants, will mean

more jobs for Canadian lumber industry
workers

Milhhons of tonnes of stecl will be supplied by
Canadian industry for the double tracking of
a significant part of the westem rail system
Orders for new bridges, rail cars and diesel
cngines will also play a part in the recovery
and expansion of Canada’s steel industry

SHORT AND LONG TERM
BENEFITS.

The construction phase of Canada’s Rail
Expansion will inject billions of dollars into the
Canadian cconomy over the next ten years
And guaranteccing grain and other resource
producers access to world markets creates
-» long term trade opportunities that will
) ultamately benefit all Canadians

Canada’

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