It’s been nearly a week since CP Rail’s August 1 deadline for people to clear the Arbutus Corridor.
But a look at the long-abandoned rail line, which CP say they want to revitalize, shows not much has changed.
Sheds can still be seen, gardens are still being tended to – and those who use the line say they aren’t going anywhere.
“I don’t really care. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. They won’t really communicate with us directly,” says Neal Yonson as he picks out fresh tomatoes.
“We’re not going to remove anything just because they say it’s a safety issue, it’s totally bogus.”
Yonson and Bronwyn Guiton are recent members of one of many community gardens on the line. Over half of their plot encroaches on CP land.
“It’s hard not to be worried, but at the same time I’m not moving anything until somebody takes it away,” says Guiton.
CP Rail crews were out Tuesday inspecting the line, but so far the company hasn’t enforced their demand that the 45 narrow acres they own be cleared by people, who have used the land for a variety of purposes since rail service was discontinued over a decade ago.
READ MORE: People living along Arbutus corridor hold a protest garden party
In a statement, the company said “This week, CP crews have started identifying items (sheds/gardens, vehicles etc) that remain on CP property and pose a safety risk as work on the line continues to return the track to federal operating standards.
“As track work progresses in the coming weeks any identified encroachment will be removed in order to maintain a safe work environment for CP crews.”
– With files from Catherine Urquhart
Comments