Say good-bye to confusing rail crossings with completion of CN Rail corridor purchase

KELOWNA – The CN Rail corridor purchase will be defined in Kelowna by what it gains — a multi-use transportation corridor — and what it loses — a bunch of annoying level crossings on local roads.

“CN has an obligation to remove the railway ties and remediate the land,” said Doug Gilchrist, director of community planning and real estate for the City of Kelowna. “That includes all infrastructure at level crossings, which means the drop down gates and lights will be removed.”

Under the purchase agreement with CN Rail, all titled lands within the corridor must be returned to an “industrial standard” as defined by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Level and graded crossings must be remediated to a useful standard, equal or better than the current standard, Gilchrest explained.

That removes an approximately 14 crossings within the city limits, including the major crossing at Gordon and Clement and Spall and Clement. Those particular crossings, passing as they do at an oblique angle over three major arterial roads, with multiple lights and turn signals, have long bedevilled tourists and locals alike with their complexity.

Gilchrist said the city shouldn’t have to do much beyond minor pedestrian crossing improvements once CN Rail has done it’s work, which is guaranteed by the subjects on the real estate transaction.

While the $50-million deal is set to conclude April 1, Gilchrist said the remediation work by CN Rail will continue past the closing date. “Their obligation goes beyond title transfer, “ he added. “Some of it will take place under our ownership.”

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infotelnews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

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