The Rural Voice, 1989-05, Page 14treleaven's
feed mill ltd.
box 182, lucknow, ont. NOG 2H0
519.528.3000
1.800.265.3006
12 THE RURAL VOICE
DEAD RAILROADS
AS PEOPLE PARKS
"Each generation has a group that
wishes to import a static pattern on
events, a static pattern that would hold
society forever immobile in a position
favourable to the group in question."
— Louis Lamour
Controversy swirls around a strip
of gravelly real estate that wends its
way through our towns, villages, and
townships. The railroads, having
taken the strip in the latter part of the
last century, and having milked it for
its last penny, are now eager to dis-
pose of it.
Ha, some farmers say, it was our
farm land before, now it should be
returned to its proper owners.
Not so, say other taxpayers, includ-
ing a number of farmers. Taxpayers'
money was paid to the old landowners
and now it's time to return that money
in a different form.
Suggestions include public parks
in the form of walking trails, snow-
mobile tracks, horse paths, and
forested strips.
On the other side of the railroad
fence are the adjacent landowners.
They fear having urbanites on the
back of their property. These rude
people might throw candy wrappers
and even pop and beer cans on their
fields or, even worse, empty bottles
that could puncture expensive tractor
tires. They might make noise with
their trail bikes and snow machines
and interfere with TV reception.
As usual, there is some truth on
both sides of the argument. As usual,
there is some lack of truth on both
sides as well.
I live near the railroad. It runs 50
feet behind my house. I have lived
with the railroad for nearly 20 years,
so I can speak with some authority.
Twice a day a train rumbled by my
house. Sometimes it let out a shriek to
warn us it was coming. Concerned
that a visitor would be hit, we erected
a sign at the crossing.
We live a kilometre from Blyth
and snowmobiles as well as walkers
already use the railroad, though it is
too rough for trail bikes. We have no
pasture so we are not much concerned
about snowmobiles packing down the
snow and killing the grass undemeath.
We do worry on behalf of others when
we see these machines crossing fields.
Those who come up our lane from
the railway are the least of our con-
cerns. Walkers don't bother us at all.
They always behave well. (Yes, kids
once got into our pine bush near the
line and cut down a young tree to
build a hut)
I can't see that taking out the rails
and ties would make any difference.
I would welcome it, for I too use the
tracks sometimes to walk to Blyth, and
walking the ties is tiring for a retired
person.
We must change our attitude to-
wards farm land. Society must cherish
it more. The railroad beds, however,
are far from being farm land. To
restore them to growing crops would
cost more than they would ever return.
In Britain, non -farmers now have the
legal right to picnic on a farmer's pas-
ture. Don't say this couldn't happen
here. Resisting urbanites who want to
use a useless strip of land could back-
fire and taxpayers could well object
more to farm subsidies because of it.
Landowners should consider what
they like more, nature lovers and
hikers through the back 40 or a future
with picnickers in the pasture. With
resistance against normal farming
practices growing — eg. animal wel-
fare, pesticides, etc. — farmers could
do worse than look into the future.
They should consider dropping their
insistence that society remain forever
immobile.0
Adrian Vos, from Huron County, has
contributed to The Rural Voice since
its inception in 1975.