A longtime Miltonian who's been a steadfast voice against the proposed CN’s intermodal terminal for more than two decades is striking a hopeful tone after a federal court ruling that calls the approval process “flawed.”
But Rita Vogel Post still harbours some skepticism.
“As angry and frustrated as I am with where everything is right now, I'm really hoping that the decision will have a greater impact,” said Vogel Post, chair of Milton RAIL (Residents Affected by Intermodal Lines). “After doing this for 22 years… I’m just not really sure how much faith I have in the whole system.”
At issue is CN’s plan to build a 400-acre logistics hub on lands east of Tremaine Road and south of Britannia Road. The intermodal container transfer facility between trucks and rail cars would run 24 hours a day and seven days a week, with 1,600 daily truck trips.
The Town of Milton has taken a hard line that the location isn’t suitable and does not fit the Town’s and Halton’s Official Plan, stating that it's within a kilometre of about 34,000 current and future residents, a hospital, 12 schools and two long-term care homes. In addition to the human and environmental concerns, there are also traffic and economic worries.
In March, Justice Henry Brown ruled that the federal environment minister’s approval of the $250-million project was “flawed” and “unreasonable” as it fails to meaningfully take into account the project’s “significant direct adverse environmental effects on human health,” as concluded by a federal review panel during the environmental assessment process.
Mayor Gord Krantz praised the decision, noting “We are delighted that our concerns have been heard.".
While the ruling calls for reconsideration by the federal government before the project can move forward, CN said in a statement to MiltonToday that the company filed an appeal and a stay of the decision on March 28.
CN said in a previous news release that the project was subject to the country’s most extensive environmental review, resulting in an approval including 325 conditions designed to protect the community and environment.
Doug MacDonald, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said that the project is “fundamental” to the government’s effort to address supply chain issues and improve Canada’s transportation system.
CN had previously been looking to build such a facility in 2001 — only to drop the plan in 2008. In 2015, the rail company once again floated a proposal for an intermodal facility. The process continued and it was later designated for a federal environmental assessment in 2019. The review panel published its findings in 2020.
In January 2021, that environment minister gave the go-ahead. This despite vehement objections from the Town and the Halton Region.
The opposition by Milton RAIL and Milton Says No — another grassroots group — is not against an intermodal itself, but rather its location, Vogel Post said.
“It really needs to be located in an industrial area that is suited to this type of development and activity, and may already have the infrastructure and support in place,” the graphic designer said.
With the intermodal cloud still hanging over Milton, Vogel Post said she's seen many families “moved out of the community,” including a very close friend whose daughter has severe allergies.
“She was busy helping to fight this and get the information out — and she ended up moving,” Vogel Post said.
“You think about the health impact to the citizens,” Vogel Post said. “I feel that’s been ignored. Maybe that won’t happen in the next year or two. But for sure it’ll show up in the next few years and it’s not going to go away.”
She doesn’t believe that CN’s plans and efforts to address the concerns will have a significantly positive impact.
“When you bring in all these trucks, you can’t direct the winds, you can’t direct where the dust and the particulates go. It’s going to impact all of Halton Region,” she said.
While there’s a sliver of hope that the company might reconsider the project if the court ruling stands, Vogel Post isn’t taking anything for granted -- calling for the community to continue the fight.
“We need to be heard,” she said.