Two Lambton County communities involved in a $240,000 dispute with CN Rail are taking their concerns to the federal government.
Warwick Mayor Todd Case and Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Gary Atkinson are set to meet with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra this week. The meeting will focus on the township's accusation that CN is not paying its fair share under the provincial drainage act.
In 2022, the company told municipalities that it would no longer be paying for drainage assessments for the installation and maintenance of municipal drain infrastructure in rural Ontario.
As a result, Warwick is owed $160,000 and Plympton-Wyoming is owed $80,000.
In a joint media release Wednesday, the townships said municipal drains are essential rural infrastructure that support sensible transportation, sustainable agriculture, and development in rural Ontario.
They also said the lack of cooperation from CN and refusal to pay for completed projects is unlawful and is withholding millions of much-needed dollars from helping develop rural Ontario municipalities.
The company claims that it's federally regulated and doesn't have to follow provincial standards. The province, meanwhile, maintains that the Drainage Act does apply to all federally regulated railways.
Both Case and Atkinson said they are looking forward to this week's meeting with Alghabra.
