Milk prices rise as Omnitrax, Canada spar on who will pay to reconnect the railroad to a Manitoba town
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/07/26-churchill-man
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
Hard to justify 20 megabucks or more to repair a 2-train-a-week railroad. I didn't check how much freight moves, but the territory isn't exactly rife with traffic zources
Maybe it's time to go to a rubber wheel solution.
Chuck
Going to a "rubber wheel solution" will be far more expensive since road construction (there are no roads at all anywhere close to the problem area) will be extremely challenging. Maintaining a road will continue to be just as difficult as maintaining the rail line. Serving remote areas will always be costly; the railway itself has never been more than marginal for some 80-90 years but survived because it keeps the full costs of the supply chain as low as possible.
tomikawaTT Hard to justify 20 megabucks or more to repair a 2-train-a-week railroad. I didn't check how much freight moves, but the territory isn't exactly rife with traffic zources Maybe it's time to go to a rubber wheel solution. Chuck
Unfortunately there aren't too many other options and road isn't one of them. Nearest road is Lynn Lake IIRC many miles away. Any road construction through that area would be much more expensive than $20M. The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Hwy is just being finished and it has cost about $190M to build. Problems are primarily muskeg and permafrost consditions which really complicate things.
The only other option other than air is a sealift to Churchill. These can originate in Montreal (probably will now as lifts are time sensitive) and are a common source of supply of food, consumer items, building materials and fuel for the Arctic coast communities. Churchill however is also a starting point for these lifts and I expect that the HBR hauled a lot of the freight destined for those lifts.
The railway has served a need for many years. Granted it's not a large volume of freight and I'm thinking Omnitrax hasn't always been the best of operators but in fairness to them, it's a very challenging environment in which to maintain a railway. I believe that's a large part of the reason CN got rid of it.
The view from here.
Charlie
My question is where will this leave the Village of Churchill? Is it not, due to the costs of transporting grain for export there, more of a liability on the part of the railroad and the Canadian government.
Sure, this is a once in a lifetime disaster as it relates to the railroad and I wont fault Omni Trax for not wanting to foot the bill for repairs to the line. It is my opinion the costs of doing so might bankrupt them given there seems to be no government support. Due to the terrain a road would be a very costly option and once completed would not likely benefit the residents due to the transportation costs of essentials such as food, heating oil, etc.
Still, the refusal of the Canadian government to pay for rehabilitation of the line places the residents of Churchill between a rock and a hard place. Are they expected to depend on air service that increases the price of food and other necessities beyond the pale? If so, the demise of the town is imminent. Churchill has never been a mojor factor in grain exports. Polar Bear tourism has been their mainstay for many years. Take away the railroad and it's likely that tourism will also disappear, and if it does Churchill will become nothing more than history.
Norm
Norm48327 My question is where will this leave the Village of Churchill? Is it not, due to the costs of transporting grain for export there, more of a liability on the part of the railroad and the Canadian government. Sure, this is a once in a lifetime disaster as it relates to the railroad and I wont fault Omni Trax for not wanting to foot the bill for repairs to the line. It is my opinion the costs of doing so might bankrupt them given there seems to be no government support. Due to the terrain a road would be a very costly option and once completed would not likely benefit the residents due to the transportation costs of essentials such as food, heating oil, etc. Still, the refusal of the Canadian government to pay for rehabilitation of the line places the residents of Churchill between a rock and a hard place. Are they expected to depend on air service that increases the price of food and other necessities beyond the pale? If so, the demise of the town is imminent. Churchill has never been a mojor factor in grain exports. Polar Bear tourism has been their mainstay for many years. Take away the railroad and it's likely that tourism will also disappear, and if it does Churchill will become nothing more than history.
Between a rock and a hard place I think. Will it be the end. I honestly don't know.
We'll see. Sometimes it's a game of politics on the part of the GC. GC may be trying to get Omintrax to pony up some of the cost and then they'll kick in. I believe the GC has put money in before. It's has happened in my recollection although not recently. Maybe Omintrax is trying to offload HBR and this is one way of them trying to up the ante for GC.
Interesting thing is that Omintrax also runs the Port of Churchill. Two years ago they weren't seeking the grain contracts necessary to run the railway, port and the elevators. And grain was and is necessary traffic although it is certainly not high volume.
At the time I wondered what was going on. They cited ongoing track maintenance issues and derailments. On that line it's nothing new, especially north of Gillam. I think they were starting to realize they weren't going to get much if any ROI. It's a 'black hole' of sorts.
Like I say, wait and see.....
Four score and seven years ago
https://archive.org/stream/annualdept4s192930cana#page/n903/mode/2up
ORNHOOA BBC report on First Nations efforts to buy the line: http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20170726-the-people-who-want-to-buy-a-railroad
http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20170726-the-people-who-want-to-buy-a-railroad
On the face of it, the 'First Nations' buying the ROW, and then operating the vital link for transport and communication would seem to be a no brainer? A 1700 Km line is a pretty big investment; but possibly, the Canadian ( or Provincial govts) could work out so kind of a deal. Apparently, the land (muskeg and swamps?) is not conducive to road construction. So the railroad, already in place, is the best alternative. Possibly, the harbor and facilities at Churchill could be a possibility for development?
lenzfamily Norm48327 My question is where will this leave the Village of Churchill? Is it not, due to the costs of transporting grain for export there, more of a liability on the part of the railroad and the Canadian government. Sure, this is a once in a lifetime disaster as it relates to the railroad and I wont fault Omni Trax for not wanting to foot the bill for repairs to the line. It is my opinion the costs of doing so might bankrupt them given there seems to be no government support. Due to the terrain a road would be a very costly option and once completed would not likely benefit the residents due to the transportation costs of essentials such as food, heating oil, etc. Still, the refusal of the Canadian government to pay for rehabilitation of the line places the residents of Churchill between a rock and a hard place. Are they expected to depend on air service that increases the price of food and other necessities beyond the pale? If so, the demise of the town is imminent. Churchill has never been a mojor factor in grain exports. Polar Bear tourism has been their mainstay for many years. Take away the railroad and it's likely that tourism will also disappear, and if it does Churchill will become nothing more than history. Norm Between a rock and a hard place I think. Will it be the end. I honestly don't know. We'll see. Sometimes it's a game of politics on the part of the GC. GC may be trying to get Omintrax to pony up some of the cost and then they'll kick in. I believe the GC has put money in before. It's has happened in my recollection although not recently. Maybe Omintrax is trying to offload HBR and this is one way of them trying to up the ante for GC. Interesting thing is that Omintrax also runs the Port of Churchill. Two years ago they weren't seeking the grain contracts necessary to run the railway, port and the elevators. And grain was and is necessary traffic although it is certainly not high volume. At the time I wondered what was going on. They cited ongoing track maintenance issues and derailments. On that line it's nothing new, especially north of Gillam. I think they were starting to realize they weren't going to get much if any ROI. It's a 'black hole' of sorts. Like I say, wait and see..... Charlie
Charlie,
Assuredly politics is playing a huge part in whether or not the railroad continues to be viable all the way to Churchill. I can see OmniTrax viewpoint. They most likely never anticipated a once in 200 year flood and would get stuck for the repair bill with no guarantee the traffic would cover their losses were they forced by the government to make repairs at their own expense.
OTOH, how important to the Canadian government is the Port Of Churchill? I have my doubts that in the overall scheme it is that important for exports. There are other ports on the Great Lakes that can export grain sans the long slow trip to Hudson's Bay with far less costs. Think those on Lake Superior.
I grant you the fact the demise of the railroad would also be the demise of Churchill save for the tourists wanting to see those beautiful white furred bears up close. My wife and I wanted to do that trip back in the eighties but the financial obligation said we couldn't. Railroad up and air transport back was our plan. Doing that today would be costly to say the least and due to the condition of the track nearly impossible.
Unless Churchill can find a way to cater to tourists who arrive and depart by air to watch the bears I think Churchill is done for and will be relegated to the annals of history.
Norm48327 lenzfamily Norm48327 My question is where will this leave the Village of Churchill? Is it not, due to the costs of transporting grain for export there, more of a liability on the part of the railroad and the Canadian government. Sure, this is a once in a lifetime disaster as it relates to the railroad and I wont fault Omni Trax for not wanting to foot the bill for repairs to the line. It is my opinion the costs of doing so might bankrupt them given there seems to be no government support. Due to the terrain a road would be a very costly option and once completed would not likely benefit the residents due to the transportation costs of essentials such as food, heating oil, etc. Still, the refusal of the Canadian government to pay for rehabilitation of the line places the residents of Churchill between a rock and a hard place. Are they expected to depend on air service that increases the price of food and other necessities beyond the pale? If so, the demise of the town is imminent. Churchill has never been a mojor factor in grain exports. Polar Bear tourism has been their mainstay for many years. Take away the railroad and it's likely that tourism will also disappear, and if it does Churchill will become nothing more than history. Norm Between a rock and a hard place I think. Will it be the end. I honestly don't know. We'll see. Sometimes it's a game of politics on the part of the GC. GC may be trying to get Omintrax to pony up some of the cost and then they'll kick in. I believe the GC has put money in before. It's has happened in my recollection although not recently. Maybe Omintrax is trying to offload HBR and this is one way of them trying to up the ante for GC. Interesting thing is that Omintrax also runs the Port of Churchill. Two years ago they weren't seeking the grain contracts necessary to run the railway, port and the elevators. And grain was and is necessary traffic although it is certainly not high volume. At the time I wondered what was going on. They cited ongoing track maintenance issues and derailments. On that line it's nothing new, especially north of Gillam. I think they were starting to realize they weren't going to get much if any ROI. It's a 'black hole' of sorts. Like I say, wait and see..... Charlie Charlie, Assuredly politics is playing a huge part in whether or not the railroad continues to be viable all the way to Churchill. I can see OmniTrax viewpoint. They most likely never anticipated a once in 200 year flood and would get stuck for the repair bill with no guarantee the traffic would cover their losses were they forced by the government to make repairs at their own expense. OTOH, how important to the Canadian government is the Port Of Churchill? I have my doubts that in the overall scheme it is that important for exports. There are other ports on the Great Lakes that can export grain sans the long slow trip to Hudson's Bay with far less costs. Think those on Lake Superior. I grant you the fact the demise of the railroad would also be the demise of Churchill save for the tourists wanting to see those beautiful white furred bears up close. My wife and I wanted to do that trip back in the eighties but the financial obligation said we couldn't. Railroad up and air transport back was our plan. Doing that today would be costly to say the least and due to the condition of the track nearly impossible. Unless Churchill can find a way to cater to tourists who arrive and depart by air to watch the bears I think Churchill is done for and will be relegated to the annals of history.
Can't disgree with your observations.
The line was originally built with federal money as Churchill, at the time, was considered to be a good port for shipping on Hudson's Bay. Much shorter to Europe than from Montreal (similar to Pr Rupert on the Pacific for Asian shipping). That really was what got the railway built IMO, Prairie grain to Europe, bypassing the Great Lakes. The St Lawrence Seaway was not yet built. Still, building the line in the beginning was an odd 'business' decision that has played out with excruciating difficulty for its owners/operators over the years.
It was a difficult survey and build, originally they wanted to build to Port Nelson, south of Churchill, but the harbour turned out to be a dud. The Nelson River silted it up faster than they could dredge it and at a cost nobody had anticipated. Parts of the original wharf I believe are still there. Also, the shipping season is short (4 mo max) and the railway there was also a tough build. There's a website, I forget just which( perhaps RME provided it) which details the construction along with pictures.
I too would like to make that trip and then go further North to Ft Prince of Wales and York Factory. Was hoping to go by train to Churchill; however now, who knows.
I think this story will be a while playing out, politics being politics. Tourism is a big draw but really, other than the Historic Sites I've named and the bears, there's not much else to attract people that I am aware of and on a scale which would sustain the local economy.
http://wondersofworldengineering.com/hudson_bay.html
http://www.shippingwondersoftheworld.com/churchill.html
I will not accept that all of that was in vain.
Thank you Wanswheel for reposting this.
I will not say that the establishment of Churchill was in vain but its economic reason for being seems to have passed. This line was the last line in North America that handled grain in boxcars since it was too light to handle anything else and a line that was built for shipping grain will not last if it can't handle 286K covered hoppers.
wanswheel Four score and seven years ago https://archive.org/stream/annualdept4s192930cana#page/n903/mode/2up Wanswheel It was certainly a 'black hole' even then. Thanks for the info. I'm amazed by your internet research capabilities! Charlie
Chicago Tribune, June 27, 1965
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1965/06/27/page/152
Manitoba's Port of Churchill a Blend of Old, New
Hudson Bay Post Dates Back Centuries
[Last in a series of articles on Manitoba, Canada's Keystone province.]
By Alfred Borcover
Assistant Travel Editor
CHURCHILL, Man.—This inland port on Hudson Bay, a sub-Arctic frontier town, is a curious blend of old and new that ranges from the ruins of Fort Prince of Wales to huge grain elevators and a rocket research center.
Churchill is also a blend of cultures—Canadians, Eskimos, Chippewayan Indians, and metis [half- breeds]. During the summer you can add to Churchill's population a variety of tourists, and merchant seamen whose ocean-going freighters come here to take on cargoes of grain from Canada's prairie provinces.
The town, with a population of about 6,000, is a conglomeration of shabby wooden homes and a few new buildings which include a Hudson's Bay Company store, a post office, a motel-like annex to one of Churchill's two hotels, and an Eskimo museum. Its streets are dusty and treeless [Churchill, at 58 degrees north latitude, is on the edge of the tree line]. Every house has its own water tank; delivery is by truck. There are no water pipes in the ground because Churchill's permafrost is 75 feet deep.
About five miles beyond town is Fort Churchill, a former military base which has been taken over by the department of transport [weather and communications stations], the department of public works, Defense Research Northern laboratories [radiation and magnetic current studies], and United States Air Force and Pan American Airways personnel that run the rocket research range. Also in this area is the Churchill airport with a 12,000-ft. runway. Strategic Air Command, until a few years ago, used Churchill as a base for jet tankers. The fuel tank farm, hangars, and alert building remain, but are empty.
Beluga [white) whales still live in Hudson Bay and in the mouth of the Churchill River; they are still hunted by Eskimos and Indians who use harpoons to snare them as they did centuries ago.
Churchill's colorful history dates back to 1619, when Jens Munck, a Danish explorer, sailed his small frigate, the Unicorn, thru Hudson Straits, across the bay, and into the mouth of the Churchill River. This was nine years after Henry Hudson discovered the bay. He arrived on Sept. 7 and two days later was joined by the Danish sloop Lamprey. The two small ships wintered in a cove on the west bank of the river. Of the 65 men who made the crossing, only Munck and two others survived to sail the Lamprey home.
In 1685 Capt. John Abraham of the Hudson's Bay Company, based at Port Nelson to the south, made an exploration voyage to the mouth of the Churchill River, apparently the first European to visit it since Munck. Abraham named the river after Lord John Churchill, who became the first Duke of Marlborough, and later King James II.
Hudson's Bay established a trading post at Churchill which was later abandoned and then refounded in 1711. In 1733 the Hudson's Bay Company began constructing Fort Prince of Wales, a stone fortress on a rocky promontory on the west side of the river, to secure this area for England. The great fort was completed in 1771. Its armament included 42 cannon, from 6 to 24 pounders. Across from the fort, at Cape Berry, a battery of 6 24-pounders was installed to further secure the harbor.
Altho the fort was, on paper, one of Britain's chief fortresses in America, its commander Samuel Hearne, had only 39 hired servants to man the walls. In 1882 the fort fell to three French warships without firing a shot. The French, commanded by La Perouse, spiked the guns, burned the buildings inside the fort, but couldn't destroy the ramparts.
Today the fort—310 feet long, 317 feet wide, and with stone walls 42 feet thick at the base and 17 feet in height—altho partially restored, stands in much the same condition as La Perouse left it. The fort, with an adjacent area of 50 acres, has been set aside by the government as a national historic park.
Visiting Fort Prince of Wales is no easy matter since you have to cross the tricky tidal waters of the Churchill River to reach the fort. This reporter, and two others, crossed in a 22-foot freighter canoe, out-board powered, operated by an Indian whaler. The cost was $10, which included a trip farther upstream to Sloop Cove, a spot where the old sailing ships used to wait out the winter. The whole journey took about three hours.
The fort, with its massive wall, is impressive. If you look carefully at the wall near the fort’s entrance, you’ll see the names of some of the men who served here chiseled or scraped into the stone blocks. Also chiseled into the stone is an occasional Masonic emblem.
Inside the fort the heavy cannon on reconstructed mounts, rim the perimeter. The cannon still bear the damage inflicted by La Perouse.
After you leave the fort, walk along the beach for a while. If you’re a collector of odd things you can pick up a variety of bleached white bones—vertebrae, ribs—from white whales that died and washed ashore.
A few miles down the river is Sloop Cove, a small sheltered inlet. The cove is dry today, but about 200 years ago it served as a wintering and anchorage for small ships. In their spare time, more than a score of crewmen carved their names into the granite side of the cove. The names are still legible, including that of Samuel Hearne, and the date, July 1, 1767. Earliest markings in the granite were made in 1741 by the crew of the Furnace and Discovery, two ships that wintered in the cove.
According to Hudson's Bay journals the two ships arrived in August and work began the following April to free them from the ice. The ships weren't torn loose from the ice until June.
The same ice conditions prevail today in Hudson Straits and Hudson Bay and restrict the navigation season to about three months—from mid-July to mid-October. In Churchill's early days, ships came to pick up valuable cargoes of furs. Now, in addition to moving about 20 million bushels of grain, the ships also fill their holds with lumber, flour, glass, chinaware, liquor, automobiles, and tractors.
Churchill's present port facility, which has anchorage for three ships, has been open since 1931. Wheat and other products for export reach Churchill via the 500-mile railroad link from The Pas. That line was completed in 1929.
Arrangements can be made thru the National Harbors Board office to tour the 9-million-bushel capacity grain elevators. The guide will supply you with a smock and helmet to keep the thick grain dust off your clothes. [If you’re allergic to molds, skip this tour or you’ll be wheezing and sneezing for days.] The tour traces the handling of grain from its arrival by railroad freight car to its loading aboard ship.
At times it is possible for the tourist to visit one of the ships or ride on the harbor’s tug as it escorts one of the grain-laden ships thru the mouth of the river into Hudson bay.
Other attractions in Churchill include Cape Merry [site of the first Fort Churchill] on the east bank of the river; an Eskimo museum; a whale processing plant [for those with strong stomachs]; and the craft shop in Akudlik Eskimo village [good place to buy soapstone carvings at about half the price you’ll pay in Winnipeg.]
Churchill's spectacular night time attraction is the beautiful display of the aurora borealis—the dancing and ever-changing northern lights.
For the sportsman, Churchill offers great waterfowl hunting, fishing for grayling, arctic char, and nothern pike. Newest lure for the fisherman is the white whale, which can be hunted by Americans for the first time. It's no easy thing, tho.
The fisherman must hire an Eskimo or Indian guide who will supply the equipment. Whaling is done from a 22-foot canoe powered by an outboard motor. When the canoe is maneuvered close enough to one of these 14-foot, 1,300-pound whales, the fisherman then lets the whale have it with a harpoon, which is tied to a heavy float. The final kill is made with a rifle shot.
The limit for whale is one a day, or two a season. The fisherman is permitted to keep 25 pounds of meat and the whale’s jawbone for a trophy. The whale fishing was inaugurated this summer to help improve the Eskimo and Indian economy. Cost of a nonresident license is $20. Canadian National Railways is offering a whale hunt package trip for $350 from Winnipeg. It includes five nights in Churchill.
Since there is no road to Churchill the tourist planning a visit must go by train or plane. The Canadian National has three trains a week from Winnipeg to Churchill, leaving Winnipeg on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. The trip takes 36 hours and costs $72 roundtrip, including berth and meals.
The Canadian National also runs two special excursion trains from Winnipeg thru Manitoba’s northland to Churchill. This year’s all-expense tours leave Aug. 6 and 13. The six-day trip costs $185 and includes rail fare, berth, and dining-car meals. Sightseeing trips are made at Dauphin, The Pas, Flin Flon, Thompson, and Churchill.
TransAir Limited, a small, well-run feeder and charter air line in the province, has Monday thru Saturday Viscount service from Winnipeg, via Dauwhin, Flin Flon and Lynn Lake, to Churchill. Best bet for the tourist is TransAir's weekend excursion fare which is $96 between Winnipeg and Churchill and $50 between Flin Flon and Churchill.
This reporter left from Flin Flon. The one hour and 45 minute flight is fascinating. From 15,000 feet the landscape below is a jigsaw of lakes, streams, swamps and forest. Islands dot some of the larger lakes, many of which have never been fished. Once beyond Lynn Lake you never see a sign of life—only the vast wilderness.
When you arrive in Churchill, get in touch with Cal or Bob Marshall or Ernie Senior. They are residents of Churchill and are quite willing to help any tourist who comes to this northern port.
I have not yet read the entire account; when I came to this statement--"In 1685 Capt. John Abraham of the Hudson's Bay Company, based at Port Nelson to the south, made an exploration voyage to the mouth of the Churchill River, apparently the first European to visit it since Munck. Abraham named the river after Lord John Churchill, who became the first Duke of Marlborough, and later King James II." I began to wonder how much history of England the writer knows. King James II abdicated the throne of England in 1688 after Parliament more or less told him he was not wanted, and invited James' son-in-law to be king. His daughter Anne, who became Queen after her brother-in-law's death created John Churchill Duke of Marlborough.
Johnny
Johnny, thanks, I didn’t even suspect John Churchill wasn’t king material.
https://archive.org/stream/lifeofjohnchurch01wols#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/lifeofjohnchurch02wols#page/n7/mode/2up
First: Thanks, to Mike (wanswheel) for some fascinating links! Lots of reading, on an area so far away.
The link I found to be of interest was "Wonders of the World Engineering" [ The Road to Hudson Bay]
linked @ http://wondersofworldengineering.com/hudson_bay.html
Specifically, at the sub titled section:
Information that woud seem to be pertinent to the current discussion about the current usefulness of the HBR. Tourists, their transportation to see the polar bears, and getting subsistance to sustain the local populations (First Nations,etc). No one has yet mention the potentials for exploitation of various minerals , apparently, in the areas adjacent to the lines.
It is mentioned, that Port Nelson was the original destination of the HBR; Construction was started in 1911, but was stopped by the British entering WWI. Due to the needs of that War effort. After the War, Construction of HBR then became a priority, but during the War, some 200 miles or so of the line was taken up, and sent to France to support the War efforts.
Post WWI, It was determined that at that point the expenditure on the line was $3.2 Million(pounds), with some $1.2 million (pounds) expended on Port Nelson. The constructon preWWI had been stopped 90 mi short of Port Nelson, when construction was restarted, the decision was made to go straight nort to Port Churchill.
Hi All
Found this. Current as of mid June. Helpful context.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/omnitrax-damage-inspections-1.4163026
Not sure how one activates the link.
And this:
/www.google.ca/maps/place/Port+Nelson,+MB/@57.055988,-92.61084,3a,127y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1shttp:%2F%2Fssns.frontiersd.mb.ca%2FSeniorYrs%2FDigitalArchives%2FPhotoArchive%2FHighRes%2F000055.jpg!2e7!3e27!6s%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2Fproxy%2F8RjrhvRI1C5Ao1jyHWgyJkdiVWxV4qNQW64OglOiHHOqNQEZofYQjKqNshKBoqWXQiXWMewsBLDP3eXLHyEbxpM6p1ineK_yTGiB2WvcP18PHml5Nfj6qZiqqISyyo8z0GoN3E8hb7gGWMcA5CcyDTzy8hz68nM%3Dw203-h120-k-no!7i425!8i253!4m5!3m4!1s0x527b85415fad3743:0x2a33d23005b3f179!8m2!3d57.055168!4d-92.596721
There is other info about Port Nelson but I would have to look further....been quite a while since I researched it.
Mike, thanks for the few pages of the biography of John Churchill. I did not realize that he was some punkins during the reigns of the two brothers, Charles II and James II. I really knew of him as the general of Queen Anne's army on the Continent as he fought Louis XIV and his army (and won every battle).
There was an expression concerning Charles II--"He had one hand in the Treasury and the other in a whxxx's placket." (You will not find this in Dickens' A Child's History of England.)
James II wanted to follow his father's attempt to rule without Parliament. He got off much more lightly than his father did. The revolution which got rid of him was, indeed, the Glorious Revolution, for there was no blood shed.
Now, back to the ranch--oops--Churchill, Manitoba.
Jan. 6, 1956 - "Operation Frost supersonic antiaircraft guided missile developed by the U.S. Army, will be resumed in the Fort Churchill area this winter. The tests are designed to determine the effects of extreme low temperatures on the complex component parts of the Nike weapon system. The tests were begun last winter, but not completed. In this photo, the NIKE with booster is on the mobile launching ramp prior to firing. The booster, covered by a weather-resistant material which is discarded before destination, drops away after the first phase firing."
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/44/exploringnorthernskies.shtml
Excerpts from “The Churchill Research Range - A History of its Acquisition and Management by the Air Force” by Robert F. Phillips (1964)
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/464886.pdf
The Churchill Research Range (CRR) at Fort Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, while small in both size and resources, is certainly the most unique among those units that make up the Office of Aerospace Research. For example, it is located in the coldest place in North America; it is the only range in the world where rockets are fired from buildings; and it is the only U.S. range that boasts polar bears that nose around the launch area and the base camp much as do stray dogs in a typical urban area. It is different, too, in that OAR personnel merely administer the range, while Pan American World Airways, on a contract basis, actually performs the various operations. The range is maintained not only for OAR's use, but for other users such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Navy and Canadian research agencies.
Although it does not fit easily into the categories commonly used in discussing Air Force research programs, CRR is an Air Force research installation whose work has won general recognition as equal to the best that is being done elsewhere in the same field. And being done under extremely trying conditions, it might be added. For this reason, among others, the history of CRR is worth a thorough examination. While the topic may serve as a case study in Air Force research operations, it also constitutes a small but important chapter in the general history of American rocketry…
Another aspect of the Churchill range which, while not directly related to rocket launches, took up a good bit of the CRR Commander's time and probably added a few gray hairs to his head, was the sociological problem. This problem has arisen at various times and places since the 1 July 1962 assumption of command by OAR, but probably one of the best examples was found in the field of messing facilities.
To begin with, Fort Churchill, as a Canadian Army installation, had inherent in its make-up a well-defined social stratum and a long history of highly treasured traditions closely patterned after the British Army. With U.S. military personnel there was no problem, they ate in the mess appropriate to their rank--be it Officers', Sergeants' or Other Ranks' Mess. With civilians, and a large number of them at that as the problem was mainly concerned with the PAA employees, the problem became more complex. Especially when many of those civilians were not fully oriented to the military way of life, nor were they particularly aware of any class lines, other than perhaps those artificially created by economic factors.
Colonel Galloway, Canadian commander of Fort Churchill, considered that only top-notch individuals possessing good character traits and occupying managerial positions should be allowed Officers' Mess membership. He also felt that general supervisory personnel should rate Sergeants' Mess status and all other PAA employees should be members of the Other Ranks' Mess.
Colonel Flicek had spent four years in Great Britain, so he could more easily appreciate and respect the Canadians' position. Yet as an American he could, of course, understand the lack of "caste consciousness" on the part of the PAA employees. He assured Colonel Galloway that OAR would monitor the whole program to assure that the range contractor employees would adequately fit into that "slice of the social stratum" they more nearly belonged to according to their assignment In PAA.
CRR representatives felt that the conclusions reached after several meetings between U.S. and Canadian representatives were certainly favorable to the range personnel. At that time PAA employees received 22 permanent spaces in the Officers’ Mess and 39 in the Sergeants’ Mess. In addition, five extra spaces in the Sergeants' Mess were reserved for personnel pending acceptance for Officers' Mess memberships. This solved the problem for a time, although from past experience it was assumed that isolated cases would arise from time to time, calling for individual settlement in each case.
Besides this type of sociological problem there was another of visiting U.S. and Canadian dignitaries, military and civilian, as well as numerous foreign visitors, mostly military but some civilian. In these cases protocol could become as complicated as at an embassy dinner in Washington. From all reports, letters from visitors (U.S. as well as foreign), etc., it would seem that Colonel Flicek and his staff were quite successful in working out the myriad problems that arose, leaving the visitors with the memory of an interesting as well a pleasant visit to the CRR.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau-pallister-agree-omnitrax-must-pay-for-rail-repairs-in-churchill-man-1.3524485
wanswheel http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau-pallister-agree-omnitrax-must-pay-for-rail-repairs-in-churchill-man-1.3524485
It's not looking good if that's where Trudeau and Pallister are on the subject of help for Omnitrax.
IMHO The best chance for the railway sounds like a First Nation's purchase of the line (as an MOU is in place as of Dec 2016). Also an Inuit based company I believe is running the sealifts now. That might make a difference politically.....maybe.....
I wonder if sealifts are going to be in Churchill's future. Wouldn't surprise me. They may become like the other communities on Hudson Bay and the Arctic Coast. One lift a year, more if they're lucky.
Contact Discovery Channel - sounds like a season task for 'Ice Road Truckers'
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD'Ice Road Truckers'
An example of the "Law of Unintended Consequences".
The railway worked as good as it did for so long no credible attempt was ever made to provide a road link. Those fellows would have some serious long haul work.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
ALL:
How did the CN manage the line when they had it? Did they have any problems with the permafrost? I did see that the CN used only boxcars for grain.
Ed Burns
The story says it was a 1 in 200 year flood. CN simply got lucky during their years of ownership and nothing like this ever happened to them.
That is why there is some hesitation yet about the idea of sueing Omnitrax. What could they have done differently? How would First Nation ownership stop something like this from happening again?
Punish the owner, or abandon the line? There are really no good solutions.
If Canada and Manitoba want their to be rail service to Churchill, they will have to contribute to the cost of the repairs - and time is growing short - Winter is not that far away.
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