PARKS CANADA HAS HISTORICALLY PAID LIP SERVICE TO MINIMIZING GRIZZLY MORTALITY ALONG RAIL LINES RUNNING THROUGH BANFF NATIONAL PARK.......................LET US HOPE THAT THE BELOW DECLARATION IS NOT JUST POLITICAL POSTURING AND IN FACT TRANSLATES TO MEASURES THAT GETS THE GRAIN OFF OF THE RAIL LINES................THUS NOT BEING A LURE TO THE GRIZZLIES WHO END UP FEEDING ON THE DUMPED GRAIN AND BEING OBLITERATED BY ONCOMING TRAINS

Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific Take Action to
Further Protect Grizzly Bears in Banff National Park


The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment,
Minister responsible for Parks Canada and Minister responsible
for Southern Alberta, along with Mr. Fred Green, Canadian
Pacific President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), today
announced a multi-faceted, research-based, five-year joint
action plan to further mitigate rail-related grizzly bear mortality
in Banff National Park.

Railway-related wildlife mortality is complex. Rail-related causes
of grizzly bear mortality can include the presence of grain, bear
behaviour, using the tracks as a travel route, and conditions
adjacent to the railway such as seasonal bear foods, habitat
quality, carcasses, terrain, travel conditions and snow conditions.

"Wildlife corridor management is now better understood thanks to
ongoing advances in public awareness, waste management techniques,
and world-leading strategies such as highway fencing," said Minister
Prentice. "By working with Parks Canada, Canadian Pacific is
demonstrating true environmental leadership by partnering in
this research-based action plan focused on similarly advancing
mitigation of railway-related grizzly bear mortality in Banff National Park."

Significant progress has been made in reducing railway-related grain
spills within the national parks, including employing unique track vacuum
vehicles to remove large spills and utilizing parks-specific operating
procedures. The railway is also nearing completion of its $20-million
unloading gate replacement program for federally-owned grain hopper cars.

"CP is pleased to take the next logical step and provide $1 million to launch
an empirically-based joint program to build on existing knowledge and
further explore grizzly behaviour and potential mitigating technologies
and practices, especially those related to railway applications," said
Canadian Pacific President and CEO Fred Green. "CP remains
committed to being the industry leader in environmental stewardship
through ongoing efforts to reduce attractants, implement effective
solutions to target problematic areas along our tracks, and to
collaborate with Parks Canada engineers to develop and
contribute funding for unique mitigative wildlife structures."

Near-term actions within the plan will include vegetation management,
whistle zones, reviewing opportunities for wildlife fencing and culverts
in high risk areas and working with grain terminal operators to encourage
loading practices that will further prevent grain spillage within the
national parks. Through the new research program other
experimentation may be employed to dissuade grizzly bears
from searching for grain on the tracks.

Medium- and longer-term solutions will be identified and tested
through the research program and will be supported by robust
monitoring to determine effectiveness of experimentation.
"This agreement between Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific
represents an important step forward in the shared responsibility
of ensuring healthy grizzly bear populations for years to come,"
declared Minister Prentice.

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees
located across Canada and in the United States, remains
committed to being the safest, and most fluid railway in
North America. Its people are the key to delivering innovative
transportation solutions to its customers and to ensuring
the safe operation of its trains through the more than 1,100
communities where it operates.

Parks Canada is a world leader in managing protected
areas and continues to work to ensure that Canada's
historic and natural heritage is presented and protected
for the enjoyment, education and appreciation of all
Canadians, today and in the future. Through a network
of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and three
national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada sets
the stage and invites Canadians, as well as people from
around the world, to engage in personal moments of inspiring
discovery of our treasured natural and historic places.