Jasper mayor says CN Rail relocation will be devastating for residents

CN Rail’s decision to pull operations out of the Rocky Mountain tourist town of Jasper, Alta., will have a devastating impact on local families, says mayor Richard Ireland.

Ireland says CN Rail’s presence in town is a key part of the community’s identity, and he hopes the company will reconsider.

The company announced this week that it aims to transfer its operations from Jasper to Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres east, come September 2025.

A company memo sent to the roughly 200 impacted workers on Monday says the change will improve efficiency by reducing stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C. on the western side of the Rocky Mountains.

Ireland says the timing of the move only intensifies the harm felt in Jasper after a wildfire destroyed one-third of the town’s homes and businesses in July.

An estimated 2,000 residents were displaced by the fire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.