COLDSTREAM, B.C. – Kilometers of land under abandoned rail between Vernon and Kelowna are more likely to become a recreational corridor following the closure of Ashland Chemicals according to a man spearheading the campaign for a pathway between the Okanagan cities.
Brad Clements started , a website to gain support for the recreational model last fall when no other group came forward to support the vision while CN worked to discontinue rail service.
“We’ve put up our website which people have been emailing us at,” says Clements, an Okanagan College professor and avid cyclist. “So to date, we’ve got over 3,000 emails of support. People are saying, no, we do need to protect this.”
While one company expressed interest in taking over the Kelowna Pacific Railway south of Vernon, no formal proposal has been submitted to CN according to spokesperson Warren Chandler. The deadline for submission was January 30th, but CN is still waiting for the unidentified business to make a formal proposal.
Clements says the news of Ashland shutting its doors is sad, but telling on the future of rail service on the line.
“It’s an unfortunate situation but what we need to do now is make sure that ‘Plan B’, which is protecting the corridor, we really need to focus on that aspect of it,” says Clements.
The City of Kelowna, North Okanagan Regional District and District’s of Lake Country and Coldstream have formed a committee to share zoning and Official Community Plan information in the event local government is offered the land under the rail for purchase.
“We think it’s critically important to protect that corridor for the multitude of potential uses in the future and we’ll do what we can to do that,” says Doug Gilchrist, Director of the City of Kelowna’s Community Planning and Real Estate Division.
While CN’s spokesperson on the discontinuance of the KPR had not heard of Ashland’s closure until Global News provided the information, no new deadline was given by CN as it moves forward on shutting down the rail line and begins the 120 day process of selling the property to government.
“Check back in a week,” said Chandler.
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