Canadian National Railway (CN) has been ordered to pay $16.2 million in damages after being found responsible for a devastating 2015 forest fire in British Columbia. Blacklock's Reporter says the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the ruling, which includes penalties under the province's Wildfire Act, holding corporations accountable for wildfires they cause."Canadian National Railway caused a wildfire," wrote Justice Janet Winteringham in her decision, emphasizing that CN had admitted responsibility. The penalties include $8.9 million for property damage, $7 million for firefighting costs, a $75,000 administrative penalty, and $52,190 for lost timber, totaling $16,171,797.The fire, which began on June 11, 2015, near Lytton, B.C., was sparked by a CN crew cutting rail during lunchtime. The fire quickly spread due to extreme hazard conditions and strong winds, ultimately destroying 5,920 acres and taking four months to fully extinguish."The fire spread rapidly to the north and west due to dry fuel conditions, strong winds from the south, steep terrain, and limited ability to use air support," noted the B.C. Forest Appeals Commission in a 2020 report. The blaze forced the evacuation of a First Nations community and put the town of Lytton on evacuation alert.Winteringham highlighted the lengthy legal process, which spanned nine years across various courtrooms and tribunals. "Canadian National admitted it caused the initial wildfire and that it was responsible for some of the firefighting costs and damaged resources," she wrote.This case is separate from a 2021 fire that destroyed the town of Lytton, which is currently the subject of an insurance claim against CN. However, a federal investigation found no evidence linking CN to the 2021 fire, which occurred during a firestorm on June 30, 2021, amid extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds.The Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the 2021 fire included soil testing, crew interviews, satellite imagery review, and inspections of train and track components. The Board concluded that CN was not responsible for the 2021 blaze, stating, "The Board has not identified any link between railway operations and the fire.""No rail grinding activities or track work had taken place in the area that day or in the days before the first report of fire," the Board added, confirming that inspections of the train found no anomalies that could have sparked the fire..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
Canadian National Railway (CN) has been ordered to pay $16.2 million in damages after being found responsible for a devastating 2015 forest fire in British Columbia. Blacklock's Reporter says the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the ruling, which includes penalties under the province's Wildfire Act, holding corporations accountable for wildfires they cause."Canadian National Railway caused a wildfire," wrote Justice Janet Winteringham in her decision, emphasizing that CN had admitted responsibility. The penalties include $8.9 million for property damage, $7 million for firefighting costs, a $75,000 administrative penalty, and $52,190 for lost timber, totaling $16,171,797.The fire, which began on June 11, 2015, near Lytton, B.C., was sparked by a CN crew cutting rail during lunchtime. The fire quickly spread due to extreme hazard conditions and strong winds, ultimately destroying 5,920 acres and taking four months to fully extinguish."The fire spread rapidly to the north and west due to dry fuel conditions, strong winds from the south, steep terrain, and limited ability to use air support," noted the B.C. Forest Appeals Commission in a 2020 report. The blaze forced the evacuation of a First Nations community and put the town of Lytton on evacuation alert.Winteringham highlighted the lengthy legal process, which spanned nine years across various courtrooms and tribunals. "Canadian National admitted it caused the initial wildfire and that it was responsible for some of the firefighting costs and damaged resources," she wrote.This case is separate from a 2021 fire that destroyed the town of Lytton, which is currently the subject of an insurance claim against CN. However, a federal investigation found no evidence linking CN to the 2021 fire, which occurred during a firestorm on June 30, 2021, amid extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds.The Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the 2021 fire included soil testing, crew interviews, satellite imagery review, and inspections of train and track components. The Board concluded that CN was not responsible for the 2021 blaze, stating, "The Board has not identified any link between railway operations and the fire.""No rail grinding activities or track work had taken place in the area that day or in the days before the first report of fire," the Board added, confirming that inspections of the train found no anomalies that could have sparked the fire..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
