January 28, 2021

Brandon
-21° C, Light snow

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Home
  • E-Edition
    • Brandon Sun
    • Westman This Week
    • Newspapers In Education (NIE)
  • Special Sections
  • Beyond the Wall
  • Sun Bursts
  • Sections
  • News
    • Local News
    • Westman this Week
    • Calendars
    • National News
    • World News
    • Flood
  • Sports
    • Sports home
    • Local Sports
    • Wheat Kings
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Brier
    • Curling
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Tamarack
    • Post-Secondary
    • Other Sports
  • Opinion
    • Opinion home
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Sound Off
    • Send a letter to the Editor
    • Submit a Sound Off
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Entertainment
    • Entertainment home
    • Local Movies
  • Events
  • Lifestyles
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Science & Technology
  • Puzzles
  • Multimedia
    • Multimedia home
    • Point of View
  • Tools
    • Menupage
    • Manitoba Highway Conditions
    • Photo Order Form
    • RSS Feeds
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • Photo Store
  • Subscribe
  • Surveys
  • Trending Magazine
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Recent Awards
    • Advertising
    • Fund Raising
    • Help/FAQ
    • Job Opportunities
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Access To Information
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
  • Brandon Sun Digital Advertising

©2021 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Flyers
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photostore
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Read Now Pay later
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News CafĂ©
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
Brandon Sun
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Submit a Sound Off
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Subscribe Contact Us
Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription
  • All Sections
  • Local
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyles
  • Business
  • Multimedia
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • Special Sections
Local

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Cando awarded contract to repair Churchill rail line

By: Michael Lee
Posted: 1:35 AM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 5, 2018

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
The closed rail line and Port of Churchill is seen on July 3, 2018.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/JOHN WOODS

The closed rail line and Port of Churchill is seen on July 3, 2018.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 4/9/2018 (876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Brandon-based Cando Rail Services is one of two companies tasked with repairing the Churchill rail line after several businesses and First Nations groups banded together to officially buy the damaged railway last week.

The contract, awarded to Cando Rail and Alberta-based Paradox Access Solutions, was announced in a news release on Tuesday.

A Cando Rail spokesperson said the company could not comment on the deal due to the terms of the contract.

But the news was welcomed by Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer, who described Cando Rail as a great community player throughout the country and said he suspects that will continue with this new opportunity.

"Cando has been a remarkable success story in Brandon and in Canada," Helwer said. "They do work all across the country ... so (it’s) very good to see that they’ll be using their expertise to make this a reality."

Last Friday, Arctic Gateway Group LP, whose members include Missinippi Rail Limited Partnership — a consortium of First Nations and other communities — along with Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited and AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., announced that it had closed a deal with Omnitrax Inc. to acquire the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill facilities.

The agreement also involves OneNorth, a group co-chaired by Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, and support from Ottawa, the Winnipeg Free Press reported.

In a statement made on behalf of the partners, Fairfax president Paul Rivett said the group has been working diligently over the last eight months and he thanked the federal government and leadership from Omnitrax, Churchill and other First Nations for making the project a reality.

Rivett said repairs have commenced with the awarding of a contract to Cando Rail and Paradox.

"We are racing against time to attempt to restore services prior to the winter season," he said. "The time has come for us to work together with our consortium of First Nations and communities, the Government of Canada, the provinces and the private sector to build an Arctic gateway for Canada to the world."

Grand Chief Arlen Dumas of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs described the deal as historic and thanked Omnitrax head Pat Broe for negotiating in good faith.

Prior to becoming grand chief, Dumas served as chief of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, one of the signatories to Missinippi Rail. The consortium also includes Fox Lake Cree Nation, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, York Factory First Nation and municipalities located along the rail line.

The group now owns a 50 per cent stake in the Churchill project.

"Participating communities will enjoy preferential employment and contracting opportunities consistent with modern agreements concerning business in our territories," Dumas said.

"This is a strong deal for our northern First Nation communities and a strong departure from the status quo of uncertainty over the future operation of these critical pieces of infrastructure. I am proud of our people and look forward to the successes that this project will enable."

"We’ll have control in the future, and we’ll work toward prosperity," Spence said. "This is historic. I don’t think there’s another model out there in Canada that would fit into this equation. First Nations, communities and municipalities and the private sector hand-in-hand with the Government of Canada. This will work. We are excited for the future."

Numerous sections of the Hudson Bay Railway were damaged following heavy flooding in the spring of 2017.

Ottawa eventually intervened after Omnitrax refused to pay an estimated $43.5 million to repair the railway.

The Manitoba government last year spent $6 million to ship a winter’s supply of propane to Churchill.

» mlee@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @mtaylorlee

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

Subscribe Now

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top