The Hudson Bay Rail Line has always been a creation of hope for Western Canadian grain farmers.
But, it has never been completely clear if that hope has been justified, or is merely the stuff of fantasy.
The Hudson Bay Route Association has clearly been on the side of the hope for the rail line to Churchill as being of unrealized potential in terms of being the shortest route to get grain onto ocean water for much of the Prairie region.
The organization, which can trace its roots back to 1924, have always been proponents for utilizing the route north to the Port of Churchill.
But there has never been a steady flow of grain along the rail line.
The reasons are many, some real, and some likely more imagined as a way to stave off requests to use the line more.
The Bay does end up frozen over each year, limiting ship access, although modern ice breaker technology has likely extended that season.
And the rail line itself has never been up to the standards of the main lines, and without the big players involved the incentives to roll rail stock north is certainly limited.
The situation was made worse, if that was actually possible, last year when spring flooding badly damaged the rail line.
That was bad news for Churchill as the line is the only land link to the rest of Canada.
One can imagine the impact on supply prices, travel costs and the like when air, or short season sea traffic are the only access points.
That may be changing as the long story of the rail line appears to be embarking on a new chapter.
Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with Minister Jim Carr, announced that, by the end of November, the rail line will resume its operations, servicing both passengers and freight.
They also announced more than $3.8 million toward 40 projects that will increase tourism, provide skills training, help offset the freight costs stemming from the rail line closure, and open the door for more investments in the community and more opportunities for residents.
These investments, and the restoration of freight and passenger rail service, will help revitalize and diversify the local economies in Churchill and other northern communities in Manitoba.
The announcement did not mention the potential of grain moving north.
That might well be a lost opportunity, too dead to revive.
Even in the days of the Canadian Wheat Board with some influence on where and when grain moved, the way north was little used.
In the current marketplace there does not appear a single entity with a vested interest in trying to turn grain north again.
But the revitalization of the line may open the north to new economies in the future which is good news in itself.
Calvin Daniels is Editor with Yorkton This Week.
