CN Railine Abandonment ("Northgate-Frobisher sub")

[toe]

Does any one know who owns the railbed of the now abandoned CN line starting at the US border. I believe the CN snuck out of paying any "grain dependent" line payment to the RM's through which it passed. I never or heard of any demand for even restoration of the mess left behind. It was hundreds of thousands of dollars left on the table.
There has been a question as to who currently owns the abandoned rail bed. It may have a substancial value for grain handling access to the US markets, crude oil and petroleum tank loading facilities; and purposes that have not yet crossed anyone's mind.
As I understood the process some year's ago; the local RM's were to receive title; and then nature trails or reversion to adjacent land owners could possibly evolve.
While writing this I just thought that a person can do a Land Titles search; and see who owns the former rail line right of way.
It's free for this basic info; and as long as they don't have your credit card you won't get some nasty and expensive costs charged to the enquirer.

[toe]

pars will be proud of me.

The good old CNR still has its name on the railbed (for all the parcels I've checked so far.) There might be some question as to how long a railway can retain ownership after removal of all the ties, rails and markers. Its quite possible the CN is obliged to turn title over to the RM. Any experts out there with knowledge on this matter?
It looks like Corus Land Holding is paying pretty good money for 98.09 acres for a declared value of $106,000 and pieces of the adjacent quarter for $69,900, $48,300 and $4350. The 2007 assessment for the $106,000 was less than $17,000. The RM hamlet property is reportedly at the lawyer's stage; and I guess ratepayers missed the tender process. Details are extremely scarce. Everyone must have been sure that there was no interest locally or anywhere else in the world.

But without public disclosure and a request for offers its going to be very difficult to show that the taxpayers got anything approaching what this property might be worth. open o

[toe]

The Farmland Security Board has granted a Farm Ownership Exemption Order for up to 8 quarters of land for the construction of a "facility" to "Corvus" in the RM Enniskillen #3. This is non-resident or non Canadian entity.
You would have thought that it would have triggered the zoning bylaw, development permits etc. but then again maybe life is made less difficult depending on who you are and whom you deal with.


Exemption File 11-CR-0480
Oct 18,2011

I smelled something big.

[toe]

I can't get any additional "hits" for Corvus Land Holding Corp on google. That's the name the group used to register title to the Lands they have acquired on Dec. 29/2011

Any detectives out there.

[sumdumguy]

Corvus Capital from South Africa? If RM s were
smart they would keep the section that goes
through them, to generate revenue for the
ratepayers.

[checking]

So sorry. It is Corus Land Holding Corp. I see they are in the Sask Gazette, but have yet to run across anything other than the FarmLand Exemption order from the Board.

[poorboy]

CN has been in the process of abandoning a rail line near me.

They first must advertise two years ahead that they are going to abandon their interest in operating the line.

Then 2 years later, they must entertain serious offers that would keep the rail line operational.

If there is no deal reached, then the line is offered to the different levels of government. It does have a salvage value and CN is expecting to be paid.

If the governments (provincial or municipal) are not interested, it is sold to a salvage company. If the rail is of good strength and condition it has huge resale value for areas of the US and Mexico where they are still building new railways.

Not sure if CN still gets taxed until everything is sold or not.

Process takes years.

[monte]

You would think they would hold on to north
south lines now until we see where the wheat
moves in the post cwb era. I think more wheat
will go to the USA when there are people
marketing.

[toe]

Anyone have any ideas about what "facility" onwed by a non-Canadian entity would require two sections of land on both sides of an abandoned rail line; and situated smack on the 49th parallel.

Looks like a brand new holding company that has absolutely no track record.
My guess is its total speculation and there are no firm plans yet. It has direct North-South access to the US and proximity to red hot US Bakken oil play; and grain terminal, rail oil terminal, customs/port access possibilities.

But two sections of land that has to be developed by 2016 seems to leave excess room for any possibility; and thus they may not have any firm committments.

[JACKFLASH]

toe you probably know CN has reserected the rail siding at Willmar to ship oil. They ship a pile,it goes all the way to Emerson, then goes south to florida. It would be a more direct route to Northgate. CN would have direct competion with the Sooline.