Notice - Canadian Pacific Railway Vegetation Management Program

05/24/2016

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the Community that Kahnawà:ke will again participate in the Vegetation Management Program at the request of Canadian Pacific. The program is required to ensure the safe operations of passenger and freight trains and to maintain the structural integrity of the railway lines, preventing derailments.

There are concerns that the MCK could be held liable in the case of a derailment due to lack of proper maintenance (i.e. weed growth). While both the MCK Public Safety Unit and the Environment Protection Office prefer alternative methods of managing vegetation on the railway, according to CP Rail there is no better method available at this time. It is agreed by all that safety is the main priority for the community.

Spraying will take place on the ballast section of the tracks only (gravel between the rails) on Tuesday, May 31st (rain date: Wednesday, June 1st) using specialized equipment that includes shrouds that prevent spray drift by 90%. The application will happen only once this season and should take approximately one hour to complete.

The MCK wishes to remind residents that Railway tracks are a dangerous place to be and that public access and activities on the tracks are prohibited.