At the tail end of 2018, residents of Churchill celebrated the return of passenger rail service to their Northern Manitoba town after over 18 months of isolation.
On Jan. 21, Thompson city council agreed to enter into a limited partnership with the Missinippi Rail consortium of businesses and communities that helped revive this railway back in the fall.
Council greenlit this action unanimously through a resolution at Monday’s regular meeting, with most members saying it was an easy decision.
“We always classify [ourselves] as the Hub of the North, so if we’re not included with this kind of package it seems like we are not giving out the proper message,” said Coun. Duncan Wong. “So to be part of this agreement is a no-brainer.”
City manager Anthony McInnis also stressed the fact that this partnership presents virtually no financial risk to Thompson, since their three $1 shares have already been paid for by a third party.
In exchange, the city is entitled to vote at partner meetings and receive a share of the partnership’s distributions in accordance with the limited partnership agreement.
“Not often do I see a city getting anything for free,” said Coun. Les Ellsworth. ”The shares are free to us. Hopefully, in time, maybe they’ll be worth something and we can make some money.”
Outside of getting part ownership of the Hudson Bay Railway, which runs through Thompson, the city is also investing in the Port of Churchill and the Churchill Marine Tank Farm through this agreement. Colorado-based company OmniTrax previously owned all three assets before the Missinippi Rail consortium bought them last Aug. 31.
“I would like to thank everybody that has worked so hard,” said Mayor Colleen Smook. “It’s just a win-win situation for the northern communities, for the folks in Churchill that were so dependent on the train service and had to use very expensive other modes of transportation all along the Bayline.”
Wong sole detractor in bylaw readings
Monday’s meeting saw second and third reading of some important bylaws, including the establishment of 2019 water and wastewater rates set out by the Public Utilities Board at the end of last year.
While Thompsonites will pay lower minimum payments, with the quarterly service charge dropping from $84.23 to $23.74, Coun. Wong objected to the $1.03 and $0.28 rise in water and wastewater use per cubic metre, which he says will hurt local residents and businesses in the long run.
However, the rest of council did not share Wong’s views and passed the second and third reading of this bylaw by a vote of 7−1.
The final motion of the night served as a follow-up to a Jan. 7 meeting, where council unanimously passed the first reading of an amendment to add a definition for “hobbyist/artisan” into a business licensing bylaw.
However, as per Coun. Jeff Fountain’s request, this definition was slightly changed to accommodate a broader group of entrepreneurs.
After some more last-minute tweaking on Monday night, all of council eventually decided, through a second and third reading of the bylaw, that a hobbyist/artisan means “any person who makes hand-made goods, produced by themselves or their immediate family and offers them for sale, or goods produced through the pursuit of pleasure or relaxation.”
The next Thompson city council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
