The wildfires raging in Jasper National Park are expected to have an impact on Canada’s rail lines and a knock-on effect on some supply lines in the province.
Port of Vancouver spokesperson Alex Munro says the port expects to see delays in the movement of goods in the coming days due to the situation in Jasper, Alta., where an untold number of structures have been destroyed by a fast-moving fire.
Munro said the port also expects to see an increase in anchorage utilization due to ships waiting on delayed cargoes.
The country’s largest rail company, Canadian National Railway Co., suspended operations in the Jasper area Wednesday afternoon as fire conditions worsened.
CN’s main line runs through the park before it continues west to the export hubs of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, B.C., and east to the rest of the country.
The company first suspended rail service through Jasper on Tuesday but restarted it briefly Wednesday before shutting it down again a few hours later.
On Friday, CN said it had inspected its infrastructure in the region and, in consultation with Parks Canada, was able to resume rail traffic. CN says it continues to monitor weather and fire movements in the area.
Munro said the Port of Vancouver will work with its supply chain partners to ensure Canada’s trade can continue to move safely and efficiently.
Passenger service suspended indefinitely
The historic train station in Jasper is owned by Parks Canada and the train platform is owned by Via Rail, which offers scenic passenger rail journeys from there through the Rocky Mountains and onward to Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Shirley Bond, the B.C. United MLA for Prince George-Valemount, discusses the aftermath of the wildfire that ripped through the town of Jasper. She tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot that the government can try to identify gaps in the response and learn from it to be better prepared for the next time.
Via Rail said Thursday that the station and platform appear to still be intact, according to the latest information the company has received. The company’s operations through Jasper have been temporarily halted.
Rocky Mountaineer tourist trains will not go through Jasper “for the foreseeable future,” the company said on its website. Alternative arrangements are being made for people with bookings on routes that normally stop in Jasper.
Trans Mountain pipeline still operational
The Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which passes through Jasper on its way to the B.C. coast, continued to operate safely on Thursday, said the Crown corporation that operates it.
Trans Mountain is Canada’s only crude oil pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast, and a vital piece of infrastructure for the country’s energy sector.
Trans Mountain Corp. said in a statement Thursday that “at this time there is no indication of damage” to the pipeline or related infrastructure.
The corporation said it is deploying sprinklers to protect the pipeline, emphasizing it is using its own firefighting equipment and bringing in water from elsewhere in an effort to support local emergency services.
Officials say up to 50 per cent of the structures in Jasper, Alta., have been destroyed as crews try to push back a wildfire that’s still threatening the community.