Katzie First Nation and City of Pitt Meadows United in Concerns Regarding Funding Shortfall to Support Grade Separation at Harris Road

File Number
2024-05

Grade separation at Harris Road is critical to address many existing and future rail impacts to Katzie members and residents of the City.

Katzie First Nation (Katzie) and the City of Pitt Meadows (the City) are jointly announcing our shared concerns regarding the current lack of funding for the proposed grade separation at Harris Road (Project), which is one component of the Pitt Meadows Road and Rail Improvements Project (PMRRIP). The Project would help alleviate adverse impacts associated with the movement of goods by rail with the elimination of the at-grade crossing, which currently poses safety, access and other concerns for both Katzie members and residents of the City.

Despite this lack of funding for the grade separation at Harris Road, it is Katzie’s and the City’s collective understanding that the siding and lead track component of PMRRIP, which proposes to enhance Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway’s (CPKC) mainline track capacity and throughput, is intended to proceed.

“The rail component and the grade separation have always been intended to be completed together under the PMRRIP,” said Katzie Chief Grace George. “We cannot support anything that enhances CPKC’s mainline track capacity without mitigating the significant impacts, risks and challenges faced by our residents from existing and future rail traffic at Harris Road. Eliminating the at-grade crossing at Harris Road is an important part of that.”

“Katzie and the City stand united in our assertion that grade separation is needed at the Harris Road rail crossing” said Mayor Nicole MacDonald. “The at-grade crossing is one of the busiest in the Lower Mainland and one of the highest risk in Canada, impacting emergency response times, access, traffic flow and congestion, public safety, and economic development.”

Projections show that these rail impacts will only increase as train volumes in Pitt Meadows continue to grow. By 2030, it is predicted that train volumes will double, resulting in over 7.5hrs/day of blockages at the Harris Road rail crossing - the main roadway in and through the City. The Harris Road crossing is a main access point between Katzie IR1 and the rest of its territory to the north, where Katzie members travel to hunt, fish, harvest and practice their culture. It is also the primary route for emergency services to have timely access to Katzie IR1.

“The Project is critical infrastructure that will mitigate the impacts of trade growth on our respective residents and improve safety, livability, viability, and economic prosperity.” said Mayor MacDonald. “We remain committed to the Project and finding a path forward.”

“Katzie and the City are calling on several key parties – including the federal and provincial governments, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and CPKC to collectively discuss the grade separation at Harris Road, our concerns and how we can ensure its implementation.” concluded Chief Grace.

In addition to this announcement, Katzie and the City have sent an official letter to the Federal Minister of Transport, the Provincial Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, the President and CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Associate Vice President of CPKC. A copy of this letter is available here.

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For more information:

Katzie First Nation                                
Stephen Bruyneel 
Katzie First Nation Communications Advisor
sbruyneel@katzie.ca
604-842-1971

City of Pitt Meadows
Stephanie St. Jean
Director of Corporate Services
City of Pitt Meadows
communications@pittmeadows.ca