Camp owner hopes to derail CN's plan to close crossing

Glen Childs' tourist camp is booked solid for the first week of moose season. Childs has owned and operated McKee's Camp, two hours north of Capreol, for the last 41 years.

However, two weeks ago and without warning, Childs received a phone call from a friend saying that CN Rail was going to close off the railway crossing about 10 kilometres from his property, blocking all road access to and from the camp. Childs was shocked.

There is no other way across the railway tracks for him and 16 other camp owners. Beyond the 16 properties, the area is a well-known spot for fishing and hunting.

“I was in disbelief. We’ve all been using that crossing for 60 years,” said Childs. "Finally, I tracked down a number for CN and I called."

Sure enough, Childs said, the person he spoke to confirmed the crossing was being closed by the company.

"He said they don’t need it and ... it had been flagged by Transport Canada guidelines as not having sufficient sightlines," Childs said. "For them, it boiled down to a liability issue.”

CN suggested to Childs that the residents lobby and arrange for rock blasting and install crossing signals — at their own cost. Coincidentally, workers doing track work in the area for CN are actually staying at McKee's Camp.

Childs said the workers told him the signals alone would cost around $400,000. He said the additional cost of blasting would be unrealistic for residents to afford.

Even more surprising for the camp owner was the lack of notice. If Childs hadn’t been tipped off by a friend, he would have been none the wiser.

“Roughly a week ago they brought in concrete blocks, not across the road, but by the road, ready to be put in," said Childs. "Then, three days later, posts, six-by-six posts with a chain, were put in on either side of the tracks about 50 feet back from the rail.

"I couldn’t just stand by. This is my business, I’m booked solid for next week. I mean, I’ve also got a camp here on an island that I don’t use very often, but I’ve even got people booked on there, and remove that crossing and no one can get here.”

An online petition started by Childs’ son-in-law, Stephen Smith, has begun circulating this week, calling for public support to keep the crossing open. Find the petition here.

Childs said apologetic CN representatives visited McKees Camp on Oct. 6, but they didn't give the business owner the answer he wanted to hear — that the crossing would remain open. Instead, Childs said, they passed the buck onto the province.

He also said one CN representative told him when they reviewed the area of the crossing on Google Earth, they didn't notice any structures.

“Well, I said, you didn’t look very well, because if you look on Google Earth, you can certainly count my buildings,” said Childs.

What CN suggested was for Childs to reach out to Natural Resources. If Childs can convince the province to make it a public crossing, it would absolve the rail company of liability.

In the meantime, Childs said CN has told him it will keep the crossing open until he hears from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle is also reaching out to CN, Transport Canada and MNR on Childs' behalf, but hasn't received a conclusive answer.

"Transport Canada was supposed to call me back with a resolution (Oct. 7)," Gravelle said. "I'm continuing to look into it and I hope to have a very good solution soon."

Calls to CN and MNR have not been returned.