Arbutus Corridor community gardens work by CP Rail halted until injunction heard
Court will hear arguments in December over the City's constitutional challenge
Work to remove trees and community gardens along the hotly disputed Arbutus Corridor will be halted until the B.C. Supreme Court hears the City of Vancouver's injunction.
- MAP | Click here for an interactive map of the Arbutus Corridor rail line
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According to a statement released Tuesday by the City, CP Rail will cease all work, save for some essential tree pruning required by BC Hydro between King Edward Avenue and Marpole, and replacement of some tracks at West 60th Avenue as the result of water main work.
The City's civil claim was filed in B.C. Supreme Court on October 3, and is due to be heard on December 9. The claim is a constitutional challenge to CP Rail over their action to clear the well-established community gardens in order to reactivate it as a railway.
Trains haven't run along the line in more than a decade and some gardeners have spent 20 years or more trying to create an urban green space there — an oasis of flowers and trees.
In early May, CP Rail suddenly announced it would clear the tracks for train traffic, a move the city considered more of a negotiating bluff than a serious proposal.
However, the railway continues to follow through on that announcement.
Talks between the city and CP have been ongoing for years. Many residents are frustrated the city and CP haven't been able to reach an agreement. Some say things should never have gone this far.
