There were 428 respondents to an Island Corridor survey and more than 85 per cent of them said preserving the corridor for public use was important to them.
The bulk of the participants in the survey were from the Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Parksville/Qualicum, Victoria and the Comox Valley.
CEO of the Foundation is Graham Bruce………
62 per cent of the respondents wanted to see rail of some sort.
Breaking that number into regional responses, 67 per cent of the respondents from the Cowichan Valley, almost 72 per cent in Nanaimo and 30 per cent in Parksville/Qualicum were very supportive of rail.
That number was highest in Victoria, where 84 per cent supported rail.
Bruce says the survey which will form the basis of an updated business plan for the organization…..
The survey also found there was support for prioritizing rail repairs, upgrades and services incrementally based on economic feasibility and there was interest in passenger and freight service between Duncan and Victoria and Nanaimo and Victoria as a first phase.
Respondents also suggested support for tourism trains, where feasible for cruise ship excursions, ski trains and wine trains.
In the meantime, Bruce says he’s hoping an NDP/Green government will be good news for the organization.
He says, with both leaders from the Island, the Foundation expects increased support…..
In the past, the NDP have criticized the Liberal government for taking too long to get the line back in service.
