City of Vancouver fights CP Rail in court over reactivating of greenway

VANCOUVER – The City of Vancouver has launched a constitutional challenge and other legal manoeuvres in an attempt to stop Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX:CP)from reactivating a line down the Arbutus corridor.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson says the city is taking action over its long-standing commitment to ensure the corridor is protected for the benefit of local residents.

Residents have been growing gardens and planting trees for over a decade on the 11-kilometre-long stretch of land through Vancouver’s westside.

Vancouver has offered to buy the land and bring in a third-party facilitator to help with negotiations, but a city news release says CP recently broke off talks on the future of the corridor and said it would start clearing the area again for railway use.

Robertson says the refusal by CP to reach an agreement is tremendously disappointing and frustrating and they won’t react to threats and bullying by spending tens-of-millions more than the land is worth.

On top of the constitutional court fight the city is also asking for temporary and permanent injunctions to stop CP Rail from operating the Marpole Spur as a railway.