6 October 2008
Edmonton-Area Land Swap Wins Environmental Award
Edmonton Alberta - Canadian Pacific has received
the Canadian railway industry's 2008 Environmental Award for an innovative land exchange
with the province of Alberta.
In the transaction, CP acquired 1,774 acres of significant environmental
value. CP transferred that land to the province to expand two provincial
parks, the province's first game bird sanctuary, and create additional
rangeland. In exchange, the province transferred 797 acres of Crown land to
CP, providing necessary lands for CP's planned expansion in Alberta's
Industrial Heartland north east of Edmonton.
"This transaction represents a new approach to land acquisition," said
Cliff Mackay, President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. "It may
revolutionize the way the railway and others approach the strategic
acquisition of land for railway development."
CP's investment means new opportunities for business development and the
expansion of rail infrastructure in Alberta's Industrial Heartland. It
balances that growth with significant public benefit, improving the
sustainability of ecosystems through Alberta's Parks and Protected Areas
Program.
"CP is convinced that this can serve as a model for use by railways and
others in Crown land acquisition with few modifications or constraints," said
Mr. Mackay. "This is a cost-effective, proactive approach which benefits all
concerned."
The annual Safety and Environmental Awards program was created in 2005 by
the Railway Association of Canada, which represents some 55 freight and
passenger railways, to encourage workers to adopt safe, environmental
practices and operational techniques. They transport 75 percent of surface
freight in the country, move 67.9 million passengers annually, and generate
only three percent of the country's transportation greenhouse gas emissions.
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