Currently, our elected officials are considering the purchase of the abandoned CN rail corridor through Lake Country so CN can sell this property to Kelowna, Vernon, Coldstream and Lake Country.
Lake Country’s portion would cost taxpayers $5,145,000. Lake Country needs approval to borrow $2,572,500 right now to make up the difference and Kelowna has agreed to loan Lake Country the balance, with a payback term of three years.
Do you realize that originally, CN may have paid for some of this land but a lot of the properties along the rail corridor were donated by the people who originally owned the land because this was considered a great gain to have a railroad running up and down the valley?
Let me also share two other points:
When the rail line in Surrey and one in the Kootenays were abandoned, the land was donated to the two districts free of charge.
What are the costs of making this trail useable? Is CN taking out the rails and ties or will the purchasers have to bear those costs too?
Phil Rawsthorne
Oyama
