CN Not Informing Neighbours – Again

A short 9 months after Canadian National Railway, Cando Contracting Ltd., and Imperial Oil snuck into the Bretona Community in Strathcona County to build a rail yard, CN is now trying to sneak into the same County to twin a section of railroad.

When they built a rail yard last year to store 225 petroleum tank cars near homes and wildlife conservation areas, they did not bother to contact local landowners or give them any opportunities to object. In the process, they breached many policies, guidelines and laws.

This Sherwood Park News article reports that CN Railway already started clearing trees for construction of its twinned track between Ardrossan and Uncas in Strathcona County without letting neighbours know about their plans. A CN representative stated that the tree clearing activities on site in preparation for construction are considered maintenance, not part of the construction (who is he kidding?). And then the CN representative said Strathcona County will be notified when construction starts. He did not indicate that local and affected residents would be contacted by CN.

This is but one more of many examples of CN’s community relations disasters. CN’s website states, “At CN, we recognize our citizenship responsibilities to the communities in which we operate – not only in our commitment to safety and the environment, but also in making communities better places to live and work.”

So let me get this straight…intentionally not informing neighbouring residents about a new rail yard or new twinned track, both of which mean more rail traffic, more noise, and more carcinogenic locomotive diesel exhaust, is recognizing CN’s “citizenship responsibilities”? What kind of corporate ethic is that? CN can’t even follow its own community relations policy clearly stated on its website.

Canadian National Railway gets top marks in deception, but a failing grade in community relations – again.

~ by railroaded on February 16, 2011.