Probably everyone in Creston knows this little trail up to and over the railway tracks right beside the former and burned down Sunset Seed building north of 11th Ave S. It has been used by thousands of Crestonians since I settled here 23 years ago and nobody thought it was wrong to do so.
All of a sudden there was sprayed “No Trespassing” on one side of the rail facing the path. When I passed over it the first time I thought it was a joke or some sort of graffiti because there were no signs of official stamps or marks of CPR and if we get 10 cm of snow nobody would see it anyway.
A few days later I was somewhat “awaited” by CPR police directly up the path and handed a $115 ticket for trespassing while there was no activity at all on CPR’s property nor a train coming.
So, we citizens of Creston are not allowed to cross the rails at that spot anymore, although we do not do any harm to CPR property while their junkyard is doing just that for Creston considering the beautification bylaw.
We Crestonians should be able to cross that rarely used railroad at any spot and time like we cross roads everywhere unless there is an operation happening on the tracks.
CPR as a company has a lot of power on every level of influence, but we Canadians by the constitution have the right to move freely and should not accept a virtual “Berlin Wall” that divides North and South Creston and can be crossed through “checkpoints” like in “Cold War” times.
With this action of CPR, I can only say: Detour Creston and take your junk with you.
Dietmar Rake | Creston
