Совет здравоохранения Гамильтона потребовал от Канадской национальной железной дороги электрификации путей из-за загрязнения воздуха

Hamilton board of health calling for CN to electrify after concerns over Stuart Street rail yard Board voted to petition federal government after residents said diesel fumes impacting health Hamilton's board of health is calling for the electrification of Canadian National Railway's rail networks, beginning with rail yards near residential areas including Hamilton's Stuart Street yard. The call comes in response to concerns from North End residents about diesel fumes there. The board unanimously voted Monday to petition the federal government to compel CN to make the change, and write to both provincial and federal governments about it. The motion, introduced by Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch and seconded by Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann, passed 9-0. The North End Neighbourhood Association's environment and climate committee launched a petition for the Stuart Street yard in Hamilton to be electrified to improve the air quality in nearby residential areas. Beasley and Central neighbourhood associations backed the call as well. For years the yard "has been a contributor to Hamilton's dangerous air quality... even as their industry counterparts, around the world, have converted to clean electric power," the petition states. Jon Davey, chair of association committee, said residents near the rail yard have felt the impact. "I don't know anyone that enjoys breathing the clouds of diesel smoke," Davey told the board on Monday. He said the fumes are particularly noticeable around Bay Street and along Stuart Street, where locomotives are parked. In an emailed statement to CBC Hamilton, Ashley Michnowski, CN's senior manager of media relations, said the company recognizes the concerns raised by Hamilton's board of health and shares the goal of reducing transportation emissions. CN "continues to invest in newer-generation technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions," Michnowski said. The company is committed to working with the City of Hamilton and other stakeholders on "practical solutions," she added. The company did not address whether it is or could consider electrification. Residents describe fumes entering homes Ian Borsuk, executive director of Environment Hamilton, said his organization operates from the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, near the rail yard. He says he experienced the fumes himself last winter. "As a North End resident, opening the door in the middle of winter and your entire house just being flooded with diesel fumes... is really upsetting to a lot of residents," Borsuk said at the board meeting. Kroetsch said he has heard from residents who reported nausea, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. "Kids [are] really suffering more disproportionately, seniors having a hard time with these impacts," Kroetsch said. Long-term impacts were also discussed at the meeting. The motion states that "evidence has mounted that diesel engine exhaust is linked to lung and bladder cancer," which was classified as a Group 1 "carcinogenic to humans" by the World Health Organization. "Canadians have to continuously be subjected to carcinogenic compounds in the air for the sake of economic development," Borsuk said. CN needs to be fully electrified, Davey says Davey said he once felt they had little ability to influence CN because the railway falls under federal jurisdiction. That changed after the neighbourhood association met with a CN representative a couple of years ago, he said. Since then, Davey said residents have noticed less locomotive idling during the summer and shorter periods of idling. He called that a positive change, but says there is a lot more that can be done. Davey says CN has been exploring battery-electric technology for its locomotives, but Davey said the approach being considered is a hybrid of battery and diesel, and he says what is truly needed is an investment from the federal government to fully electrify the rail line. "We need a nation building rail modernization program to get ahead of the massive demand from other superfluous sources," Davey said. CN has made several commitments toward reducing emission over the last few years, according to its website. It says in 2024, renewable fuels represented close to 10 per cent of all fuel used in its locomotives across CN's North American network. It also said it ran a pilot project in 2025 to launch medium horsepower hybrid electric locomotives.