Mr. Speaker, Canada's railway policy lacks a short line railway strategy. Several American states, our most important trading partners and stiffest competition, have dynamic, comprehensive plans to strengthen and expand their short lines.
In Canada, and particularly in the province of Ontario, CN and CP are abandoning their branch lines at an astonishing rate.
This includes Midland-Uhthoff subdivision which will be abandoned as of October 8, 1994 unless the petition to governor in council I presented on August 30 is successful in keeping the line open.
These closures are taking place at a time when Ontario's new labour legislation does not allow operators of secondary lines to buy and run abandoned lines at a profit.
Canada needs a strategy to address this grave situation before our short line network has been completely dismantled. I urge the Minister of Transport to come up with a plan quickly to save our short line network.