CN halts track removal pending court hearing

Truck removed from Pontiac rail line

A truck that blocked a rail line in Portage du Fort, Que., for a week was moved Tuesday after CN rail agreed to respect a court order that the company stop pulling up the tracks.

Mayors from Quebec’s MRC Pontiac region parked the truck across the tracks last week when the rail company said it would ignore a bylaw designating land in the vicinity for “rail use only.”

The bylaw, meant to legally stop the tracks from being removed, was passed because politicians in the region say the railway is their only hope for renewing the area’s flagging economy.

CN has argued that the tracks are under federal jurisdiction, so the bylaw has no bearing.

A hearing in Gatineau Tuesday ordered CN to halt work on dismantling the contentious tracks while the issue is before the courts.

The MRC Pontiac and CN will return to court in Gatineau on Oct. 10 and 11 to argue whether or not the company needs to respect the bylaw.

Remi Bertrand, chief administrative officer for the MRC Pontiac, said he’s confident going forward.

“If it were clear black and white that there’s only the federal laws that apply, the court would have said that today, I think,” Bertrand said. “So if they want to go more in-depth, it’s because there’s grounds for opening up the debate.”

The municipalities are asking the Quebec Federation of Municipalities for help covering the legal costs because the decision could set a precedent for other Quebec communities, Bertrand said.

“When there’s a bylaw in place, it needs to be respected,” he said. “That’s why laws are there.”