Green Party leader Elizabeth May has called on Parliament to nationalize Canada’s two largest railways, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP), in an effort to ensure sustainable public transportation and efficient goods movement across the country."Nationalization of both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National must be considered," said May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, in a statement. "These railways were originally built with public funds to serve the public good."Blacklock's Reporter said May argued that nationalizing the railways would help support Canadian farmers and restore the railways to their original purpose of serving the public. "The Party’s vision is to return these vital transportation networks to their original purpose, serving the Canadian people."Canadian Pacific has operated privately since its founding, though it benefited from substantial government subsidies in the 19th century. In 1881, Parliament passed the Canadian Pacific Railway Act, granting CP a $25 million subsidy, 25 million acres of free land, and a 20-year monopoly on Prairie rail service. Between 1880 and 1917, Canadian taxpayers contributed the modern equivalent of $1.1 billion toward CP’s transcontinental line.Canadian National, on the other hand, operated as a Crown corporation from its inception in 1919 until its privatization in 1995. Parliament sold CN for $2.16 billion as part of austerity measures championed by then-Finance Minister Paul Martin, who aimed to curb federal deficit spending. CN has since become a profitable private company, reporting net income of $5.6 billion on revenues of $16.8 billion in its last annual report..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.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May has called on Parliament to nationalize Canada’s two largest railways, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP), in an effort to ensure sustainable public transportation and efficient goods movement across the country."Nationalization of both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National must be considered," said May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, in a statement. "These railways were originally built with public funds to serve the public good."Blacklock's Reporter said May argued that nationalizing the railways would help support Canadian farmers and restore the railways to their original purpose of serving the public. "The Party’s vision is to return these vital transportation networks to their original purpose, serving the Canadian people."Canadian Pacific has operated privately since its founding, though it benefited from substantial government subsidies in the 19th century. In 1881, Parliament passed the Canadian Pacific Railway Act, granting CP a $25 million subsidy, 25 million acres of free land, and a 20-year monopoly on Prairie rail service. Between 1880 and 1917, Canadian taxpayers contributed the modern equivalent of $1.1 billion toward CP’s transcontinental line.Canadian National, on the other hand, operated as a Crown corporation from its inception in 1919 until its privatization in 1995. Parliament sold CN for $2.16 billion as part of austerity measures championed by then-Finance Minister Paul Martin, who aimed to curb federal deficit spending. CN has since become a profitable private company, reporting net income of $5.6 billion on revenues of $16.8 billion in its last annual report..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.
