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Warning signs for rail bed to Pine Point

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This is a section of the abandoned rail bed which stretches from near Hay River to Pine Point. Signs warning of potential environmental hazards on the rail bed will be erected this month. Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Signs warning of potential environmental hazards will be added this month to an abandoned rail bed stretching from near Hay River to Pine Point.

"The Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories will install signs along the former rail bed in early August 2018," said Kathryn Eagles, project manager with the federal Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, in written responses to questions from The Hub.

This is a section of the abandoned rail bed which stretches from near Hay River to Pine Point. Signs warning of potential environmental hazards on the rail bed will be erected this month. Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"The signs will inform users of actions they can take to decrease health risks associated with the former rail bed. The signs outline steps to reduce potential health risks and will include descriptive images on best practices with messaging in English, French, Chipewyan, Cree and South Slavey."

The rail bed is an 80-km decommissioned railway, first built in 1964 for the mining operation at Pine Point. Up to the last train in the early 1990s, more than 60 million tonnes of ore and lead/zinc concentrate were hauled on the railway.

The rail bed begins at Sandy Creek, 10 km southeast of Hay River, and continues to the former Pine Point town site.

A series of environmental studies by the federal government have gathered information on possible contaminants along the rail bed, including lead, zinc, cadmium and other metals.

The federal government continues to monitor the former rail bed to determine if it is a risk to human health and the environment.

A topographic and vegetation survey will be conducted in August when a team will be onsite to install the new signage.

"We will continue to advise the public as new information about potential risks become available," said Eagles.

Peter Groenen, the chief executive officer with K'atlodeeche First Nation (KFN), welcomes the new signs.

"We're certainly aware of what's going on there and they're been consulting with us on the issue and certainly we've had concerns," he said. "We did some work with them in terms of identifying some of the issues they have there. Most of it's kind of the lead and zinc contamination along the track."

Groenen said the signs are a start.

"We want to deal with the clean-up, of course," he said. "They're working on a plan to do the clean-up."

None of the abandoned rail bed is actually on the Hay River Reserve, but the old line passes through KFN traditional territory.