The First Nations board members had made an unsuccessful motion recommending the foundation tell provincial and federal governments it was abandoning the idea of restoring rail service on the Island.
Five First Nations members have resigned from the board of the Island Corridor Foundation as the campaign to win federal backing for railway service closes in on a March 14 deadline.
The federal government faces a March 14 court-issued deadline to indicate whether it will finance a revival of passenger and freight service on the old E&N rail corridor.The foundation, which owns the corridor, is made up of 14 First Nations communities and five Island regional districts. The corridor runs through First Nations territories and band members make up half of the 12-member board.
The group said: “We no longer see a role for ourselves in an organization that sticks its fingers in its their ears to a First Nations’ engagement report, that sticks its hand out to government for a billion dollars when there are far [more] pressing matters, and their head in the ground on the lacking business case and business plan.”There is a lot of work remaining to be done on the corridor, the group said.
Advocates point to hoped-for economic benefits throughout the Island. They also point to the possibility of freight service to and from Port Alberni’s deep sea port and a commuter service between Langford and Victoria.
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