We share your point of view. The only comment I would make, though, is that when it comes to the large class I carriers, the CNs and CPs, we argue with companies that are reputable and have their own imperatives that go to safety in terms of their merchandise and their people, so we rely on that fact. The fact that we have to rely on that and that we don't have access to the trackage, we don't have access to information, is a reality.
With regard to short lines or smaller operators, because we are the bigger player in that relationship, we are typically able to enforce audit rights and visit rights. That's how we came to the determination. On Vancouver Island we had to suspend service. The Montreal-Gaspé service was suspended because we inspected the track and we determined it was unsafe. Then the provincial government came to the same conclusions, both in B.C. and in Quebec.
When it comes to CN and CP, these are large corporations. We are the David in that scenario. We do not have the contractual or the commercial leverage to demand and enforce such rights. As I said, the only comfort we get is that they have their own operation at risk, their own reputation, and they have an excellent track record overall when it comes to safety.
Obviously, it is not as good as being able to tell you that our own people have inspected it and are satisfied, but the experience over the last 40 years has been that they tend to take the right measures at the right time. For example, last year between Toronto and Winnipeg, VIA was shut down for 33 days because CN came to the conclusion that their trackage was unstable, so we suspended service for 33 days. However, we weren't able to inspect that track as to why it was unstable and we did not get to inspect that track to know that it was fixed properly. We had to rely on their representation that it was fixed properly and that their trains were running on it, and then we put our trains on it.
Are we satisfied with that? No. Would we like to be able inspect? Yes. In a commercial relationship, sometimes you have to assume the position of being the underdog, and in this case, that's the position of VIA Rail.