Lillooet mayor hopeful following UBCM vote in favour of rail feasibility study

LILLOOET (NEWS 1130) – Delegates at this week’s Union of BC Municipalities convention in Whistler have unanimously approved plans for a feasibility study in conjunction with Via Rail and the provincial government.

Lillooet Mayor Marg Lampman has been lobbying for regular train service to return between North Vancouver and Prince George for the last two years. Regular service of the route stopped in 2002.

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Although she says the recent vote gives her hope, she’s still worried they’re running out of time as Greyhound service across B.C. will be discontinued in a few weeks.

“I’m quite concerned about the timelines,” Lampman says. “The province is working on a connective bus system to be set up, but we also need to plan for the future and I believe that passenger rail service is the future.”

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Lampman adds many seniors and low-income families in Lillooet are already suffering.

“It’s two hours, two hours to Whistler and about four hours to Vancouver, so our only alternative has been the vehicle unless you can get a ride over to Cache Creek when Greyhound was running.”

“It’s been a hardship for my community.”

Once the feasibility study is done, Lampman says she hopes a private company agrees to fill the void created in 2002 when former Premier Gordon Campbell discontinued BC Rail service.

“It could be a mix of both, but I think it needs to be primarily private. A company like Via Rail has the expertise, they have facilities already in Prince George.”

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Lampman also says Ottawa owes Western Canada as much support as it’s been providing east of Manitoba when it comes to guaranteeing service for rural communities.

“A green way to travel which is what the federal government has been promoting and that is supposedly what all this carbon tax is about and do not have the support of the federal government for an area like B.C. is very frustrating.”

Lampman plans to further discuss this during an upcoming meeting with Premier John Horgan which hasn’t been set up yet.