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CN apologizes to Manitoba rancher for train derailment causing oil spill

Excavators work at the site of a train derailment ten-kilometres south of St. Lazare, Man. on Saturday February 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Bell. Michael Bell / The Canadian Press

A 37-car train derailment west of Winnipeg has CN Rail picking up the pieces and cleaning up the mess — starting with the Manitoba rancher whose land now sits covered in crude oil from the train car leak.

A CN spokesman says the company’s executive vice-president spoke with rancher Jayme Corr on Monday about cleaning up the spilled crude oil on his land.

Corr had initially complained the company ignored him for two days after Saturday’s derailment south of St. Lazare.

In a statement CN says it apologizes “for the inconveniences caused by our unfortunate derailment.”

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CN says the next step is figuring out how to remedy any damages caused by the crude oil spill.

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Drone video reveals spreading oil spill after CN train derails

Corr says the spill occurred on an oxbow — a looped bend — of the Assiniboine River which still holds water, and he says he uses the oxbow to water his cattle in the summer.

However, CN says none of the oil has entered the Assiniboine River.

“[We] reassured him that we will be working closely with him and his family in the coming days,” CN said in a statement.

Trains were back running at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

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The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

— With files from the Canadian Press.

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