G. Spencer, Chief Operating Officer

Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada

Operating Department, Ottawa

6 Charles Street East
Toronto, Ont.

March 18th, 1935.

Mr. Geo. Spencer,
Chief Operating Officer, B.R.C.,
Ottawa, Ont.

Mr. T.L. Simmons
Chief Engineer, B.R.C.,
Ottawa, Ont.

File No. 39310.13.

Dear Sirs:-

Complying with instructions received regarding the application of the Canadian National Railways for leave to abandon portion of the Hagersville Subdivision between Jarvis (mileage 32.2) and Port Dover (mileage 41.2), a distance of 9 miles, we have made an inspection trip over the line involved, interviewed all interested parties, and beg to submit the following:

The section of the line it is desired to abandon passes through a thinly populated mixed farming territory, which when the line was in operation was served by two flag stops namely Marburg and Black Creek, each with a population of approximately 100 within a radius of 2 miles. Agricultural products of the territory consist in the main of milk, cream and tobacco.

There are no industries at either of the above mentioned points (which will be located 4 and 1 miles respectively from the nearest railway if the line is abandoned) nor are there any railway facilities, there being no station, shelter or sidings.

No train service has been operated over or maintenance done on the line since September 26, 1931, with consequent deterioration, and track conditions as regards ties, ballast, culverts, etc. are bad.

There is an excellent paved highway between Jarvis and Port Dover on which regular bus and truck services are maintained which adequately take care of all the traffic offered.

On the inspection trip under review, the Railway Company was represented by:

Mr. W. J. Piggott,	Superintendent.
Mr. F.P. Nelson,	Division Freight Agent.
Mr. J. Ferguson,	Division Engineer.
Mr. C. Hill,	Traffic Dept.
Mr. R. Dalrymple,	Traffic Dept.
Mr. N.A. Peters,	District Agent.

Notice of the inspection to be made was forwarded to:

The Reeve, Village of Port Dover, Port Dover, Ont.	The Clerk, Walpole Township, Jarvis, Ont.	The President, Board of Trade, Port Dover, Ont.
The Reeve, Village of Port Dover, Port Dover, Ont.	The Reeve, Village of Jarvis, Jarvis, Ont.	The President, Board of Trade, Jarvis, Ont.

These interested parties were advised that we would be pleased to hear any objections they might have to offer.

On arrival at Jarvis, Mr. J.J. Parsons, Clerk of the Township of Walpole met the party and advised that insofar as the people he represented were concerned their only interest was in the right-of-way running through the Township. He desired to know what the Railway Company would do with the land in the event of abandonment as regards maintenance of fencing and keeping down of weeds. All present agreed that so long as the railway retained title to the land it would be incumbent upon them to adhere to the law. the Township of Walpole had no other objection to offer.

There being no other complaints at Jarvis the party then drove to Port Dover, the track not being fit to operate over, where Mr. Misner, Reeve of the Town was interviewed. He stated that it was their understanding that mile 41.2, the point to which it is desired to abandon the line, as referred to in the application, was south of the railway bridge over the river. if this were the case they had no objections to offer. Mr. Piggott without committing himself as to the mileage, said ti was their intention to abandon to a point 500 or 600 feet north of the switch to siding serving serving the coal company north of the bridge referred to. Mr. Misner then advised that while the Town had no objection to the proposed abandonment they would like to see it extended to a point south of the river in order that the bridge might be taken out, this permitting navigation further up the river; the bridge in question not being of a bascule or swing type.

This request if acceded to by the Railway, will involve the moving of the coal company's sheds referred to, to a point south of the river in order to provide railway service. This at present is in the course of negotiations between the interested parties.

Summing up the situation, it is apparent that there is little necessity for this section of line to be maintained, nor will its abandonment incur any hardship on the communities or individuals concerned, as the lack of complaints obviously indicate, and in the circumstances we would recommend that the application be granted.

J.L. Bourgault Inspector of Railroad Operation.

D.G. Kilburn Division Engineer.

Railways: C.N.Rys.

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