Hundreds of Milton, Ont. residents are trying to stop a $250-million CN Rail development planned for a plot of land located across the road from a residential neighbourhood.
According to CN, the 1,000-acre "intermodal and logistics hub" would operate 24 hours a day, and bring in about 1,000 jobs. The facility will serve as a transfer point for shipping containers, which will be moved between trains and trucks.
CN has not said what type of goods would be transported through the hub, but residents are worried about the truck and train traffic the hub will create, according to a city councillor. Coun. Robert Duvall (Ward 1) told CTV's Canada AM that residents support CN moving their facilities to Milton, but are bothered by the location of the facility. An official plan has not yet been released. Duval said he hopes the plan will include suggestions for an alternate location, and that residents will be given a chance to meet with CN representatives.
The hub will be built on land owned by CN, across the street from a new housing development, education centre and velodrome. The facility will stretch from Burnhamthorpe Road to Britannia Road, between Tremaine Road and First Line Nassagaweya.
"You have all this beautiful area of escarpment... and now you're going to have this massive intermodal facility," Duvall said.
"It's all about the area. It really is about the zoning."
Duvall said residents would prefer that CN move the facility north of Highway 401, closer to the town's big box stores and further from residential neighbourhoods. He said he hasn't heard back from CN Rail on the suggestion.
More than 200 residents have signed a petition trying to stop the development, but CN representatives say the development will go ahead as planned.
The development is planned in the federal riding belonging to Transport Minister Lisa Raitt. A statement from Raitt's office said Raitt had spoken in depth with the mayor of Milton on the issue, and sat beside each other during CN's presentation on Thursday.
"At this point, the role of the federal government in this process is the Environmental Assessment which is conducted by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Until that is complete there is no role for Transport Canada," Raitt said in the statement.
"Although parts of the plan have been released, this is a long process with many issues to be resolved."
