It鈥檚 been nine months since Churchill, Man., has received goods on a consistent basis due to damaged railway tracks and now people in other parts of Manitoba are stepping up to help out the northern town.
Over the weekend, several organizations, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Alumni, organized an emergency food bank to help out the town.
In May 2017, the railway tracks leading to Churchill--the only year-round ground transportation to and from the town--were severely damaged due to flooding in the area. The tracks have still not been repaired. There is only a temporary ice road.
鈥淚t鈥檚 scary still for people to figure out what their future plans are going to be,鈥� Joe Stover, a Churchill resident, told CTV Winnipeg. 鈥淎re they going to be able to hold out and wait until this rail line is back or are they going to have to move away?鈥�
The lack of food in the area has caused grocery prices to spike. A pack of processed cheese can run nearly $18, basic salad dressing can cost more than $6 and a four-litre jug of milk is about $14. Gas in the area has gone down to about $1.70 per litre following a recent fuel subsidy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 silliness. It鈥檚 nonsensical,鈥� Stover said.
The food bank was able to fill an 18-wheeler truck with goods to head north on the second week of March--roughly when the Christmas donations in Churchill are expected to run out.
Food supply isn鈥檛 the only thing that鈥檚 been impacted by the out-of-commission rail line. The community has also been hit financially.
鈥淎ll the tourists that used to take the train from Thompson up there, the closure of the port, the unemployment right now and the cost of food has gotten so far out of control,鈥� said Mike Hameluck, a member of the Blue Bombers alumni.
Last November, the federal government filed a lawsuit against Denver-based OmniTRAX, the owners of the rail line, in an effort to get it repaired. The case is expected to be heard in court this week to decide if there will be a trial.
In a statement to CTV Winnipeg, OmniTRAX says the 鈥渃laims are without merit.鈥�
鈥淭his lawsuit does nothing to help facilitate a constructive solution for Churchill,鈥� OmniTRAX spokesperson Merv Tweed said in the statement. 鈥淥mniTRAX Canada continues to work aggressively to arrive at a resolution that will allow for repairs to begin as soon as possible after the spring thaw.鈥�
With a report from CTV Winnipeg鈥檚 Beth Macdonell
