April 3, 2025

Meeting Summary

Welcome and Introductions

• T. Flynn called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m., welcoming attendees to the April’s CCC meeting and noted the uncertainty of the meeting scheduling based on the previous day’s weather. He gave a quick welcome to M. Weverink and noted he will be filling in as notetaker for E. Wells while she is on vacation.

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Safety Moment

• E. Thome presented the meeting's safety moment focusing on cyclists.

  • For cyclists: Ensure you follow the rules of the road and are visible, noting that you are at the disadvantage on the road.

  • For drivers: Be aware that with the warmer weather, more cyclists are out along with children learning to ride a bike. Please slow down and be consistent of who is around you when you’re driving and opening your doors.

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Indigenous Relationships, Outreach, and Land Acknowledgement

• E. Thome noted that at the last meeting, there was discussion that the standard land acknowledgment was becoming too academic, and the group was not getting value out of it. The team has added a written land acknowledgment to the agenda and is working hard to ensure Indigenous representation/inclusion on the committee (for example, having the environmental monitors come and speak at a meeting). Any feedback or suggestions other members have on this issue is welcome.

• Participant raised the issue of native plant lists and asked whether there was an opportunity to engage Kayanase—the contractors responsible for ecological restoration and native planting on the site—as full committee members.

• E. Thome and T. Flynn will take this item away for further discussion and noted that there have been comments regarding plants with medicinal value for animals. CN has engaged with Nations on this topic with limited success. E. Thome suggested that the participant’s comments about Kayanase could offer another opportunity to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the committee.

• D. Reynolds noted that as part of their procurement processes, CN does engage with Indigenous groups impacted by their projects. Through this process, CN has found opportunities for these groups to participate in their work. CN has just finished discussion with Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation on how they can become more involved in upcoming phases of work on the project and D. Reynolds noted that similar discussions are ongoing with the Huron-Wendat Nation. D. Reynolds will pass Kayanase’s information to the procurement team to ensure they are placed on a contractors list not just for Milton but for other CN projects in the region.

Approval of Agenda

• The meeting agenda was reviewed and approved with no changes. Motioned by A. Ehrlick, seconded by M. Jeffers.

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Approval of February 2025 Meeting Summary

• T. Flynn asked for additions or changes to the February 6 meeting summary.

  • M. Loureiro remarked that there was a small error around the timing of the Lower Baseline Underpass Project. He noted that the project will be complete by July 2025 not 2026, as stated in the meeting notes. This was corrected and the final summary was circulated following the meeting.

  • M. Loureiro also raised a question about the number of trucks entering the terminal, noting that the maximum allowed was 880 not 800.

  • D. Reynolds interjected and noted that while 880 is the daily maximum of trucks, 800 is the monthly average.

  • E. Thome confirms that they will ensure there is clarity around the wording in the summary.

• T. Flynn asks for approval of the minutes. Motioned by D. Havelka, seconded by N. Mott.

Committee Business Heritage Sub Committee Update

• E. Thome continued the discussion from the previous meeting regarding the conversion of the heritage home at 5381 Tremaine Road into transitional housing for homeless men. The next step in the process is to create a scope of work for the feasibility study. CN has offered to engage a third party conduct the feasibility study. E. Thome asked D. Reynolds if he had any sense of timing on this process. D. Reynolds confirmed that an evaluation of the previous feasibility study on the movability of the house is on-going and an estimate on what is necessary to conduct the additional scope (i.e., finishing of the house) is being determined. D. Reynolds expects to have a firm timeline within the next two weeks.

• E. Thome noted that CN has to inform other internal stakeholders about the plans for the house. To support this, he had requested information from Milton Transitional Housing which is being circulated internally at the moment. By the June meeting, we will likely have more to say on this issue.

• D. Reynolds raised the issue of heating the house, noting that some vandalism to the current heating system meant that a generator was brought in to provide heat. There is also a tenant using the barn for storage. This, along with some security cameras, will hopefully deter any future vandalism attempts.

  • M. Loureiro recalled a recent break in attempt that was unsuccessful.

• E. Thome reiterated the importance of heat as unheated heritage homes can deteriorate quickly if left unattended. She thanked D. Reynolds for his efforts in moving this ahead.

• D. Reynolds brought up other heritage houses in the region and noted the work going on to remove components from those homes that have historic value. There has been some thought to bringing the house down early before it deteriorates to a point where it becomes unusable. Stantec is working on a structure assessment to take the home down early and CN will have to work through that with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) as an exception to one of their project conditions.

• T. Flynn asked how long that process with IAAC will take. D. Reynolds said that is up to IAAC and will depend on their process. Similar work in the past has taken several months to be decided on by IAAC.

Committee Feedback Results

• E. Thome thanked everyone for taking the time to provide the facilitators with their honest feedback on the structure/membership/timing of the committee. She noted they are constantly working on the membership piece for the committee, emphasizing the importance of diversity. One piece that came out of the feedback sessions was a desire for the group to be more interactive (i.e., roundtables at meetings) and this is something that will be trialled for the June meeting.

• There was a request from some members to change the frequency and timing of the meetings. T. Flynn discussed breakdown of poll that went to members:

  • 8/10 respondents noted that the meeting day (first Thursday of the month) still works for them.

  • Tuesdays or Wednesdays work well for other committee members.

  • The timing (7pm-9pm) still works well for everyone.

  • 7/10 said the meetings should switch from bimonthly to quarterly.

• E. Thome noted that any adjustments to meeting timing is dependant on the project’s schedule.

Project Update

• Site Communications Update (D. Reynolds)

• Notice of Work on Britannia Road

  • Work has been progressing on the Britannia Road Overpass. The road base has been built up to Britannia Road and we will soon be working on the intersection itself. Public notifications will be sent out in the coming weeks depending on the timing of the week. There will be some detour routes and lane closures as opposed to a full road closure.

    • D. Reynolds confirmed that these public notifications will be similar to previous construction bulletins and will be included in the online newspaper and distributed via the mailing list.

    • E. Thome suggested that with the website up and running, it would be beneficial for these notices to be posted there as well so members can send the links to their networks.

    • D. Reynolds said this was a great idea and emphasized that this is not complex work and will last around 2-3 months.

• Other Communications Elements

  • D. Reynolds thanked everyone for their feedback on the communications plan and noted the team will follow up with the committee with projects facts following the notice of work for Britannia Road. These will be regular updates in an effort to inform the public about the broader project.

    • E. Thome requested more information on how these updates will be sent to the public.

    • D. Reynolds clarified that they will be sent out through a variety of mediums such as the online newsletter and social media.

    • E. Thome noted that of the main pieces of feedback from the committee over the past year was around the issue of communication and the committee felt a desire to see a sign put up in the construction area. Feedback on the mock-up of the sign was incorporated and the final version was shared with the committee.

    • D. Reynolds provided additional context of the sign mock-up and discussed why the various design elements were chosen. The sign will be located on the corner of Britannia Rd and First Line and is planned to be up by end of May.

    • E. Thome confirmed this sign will be up in time for the team’s site visit.

  • D. Reynolds confirmed that the current work on Britannia Road overpass is coming along and girders will be erected early next week (weather pending).

  • D. Reynolds confirmed there are no updates to share on the legal case but will circulate an email to the committee with information should anything change.

• Construction Update (R. Wai Kei Chiu)

  • R. Wai Kei Chiu provided a construction update and noted there are four main components that have been ongoing in the past two months:

    • Lower Base Line Grade Separation (Underpass and Roadway Works)

      • All shoring walls have been removed and crews are progressing on excavation on the east side of the underpass.

      • Sidewalk retaining walls are being put up.

      • Mail drops were sent to houses in the immediate area of the construction site.

    • Mainline Track Realignment Work

      • Removal of temporary tracks to accommodate excavation east of the main line.

      • Culvert installation south of Derry Road has been re-scheduled to July due to weather.

    • Britannia Access Road (Bridge and Roadway Works)

      • ​Progress is being made on the north and south abutments of the bridge over the tracks as well as the Reinforced Soil Slope Wall.

    • Continued installation of chain link fence

      • All chain link fence north of Britannia Road has been installed. Some portions of exclusionary fencing had to be taken down and then reinstalled at the end of the day due to western chorus frog active periods.

  • Participant asked if the pictures in the presentation were confidential and if not, could they be shared with his federation board.

    • E. Thome confirmed that these will be posted to the website.

  • D. Reynolds used the photos in R. Wai Kei Chiu’s presentation to provide further clarification on the work on Britannia Road including the installation of turning lanes for trucks.

  • T. Flynn noted that area of Britannia Road is notable for being a place where vehicles drive fast and asked how CN is working with the region to ensure trucks have ample time to turn properly into the site.

    • D. Reynolds confirmed that all design plans have been shared with the Halton Regional Municipality and assessments that inform the design have been completed by leading experts in the field. The intent of the right turning lane is a deceleration lane to allow trucks to slow down and enter the facility without impeding the flow of traffic.

  • E. Thome noted the challenge of implementing changes to the intersection during construction because drivers are so used to moving through at speed and D. Reynolds agreed that the intersection is not “active” at the moment and red lights are not common.

  • R. Vogel asked what the planned development on the other side of the road is meant to be.

    • D. Reynolds confirmed that it will eventually be a full residential neighbourhood with the first phase including a plaza. He also noted the presence of a stormwater management pond on the corner of Britannia Road and First Line.

  • R. Wai Kei Chiu provided some brief comments on the 14 follow-up programs CN has submitted with the annual report. Some general trends observed are as follows:

    • Noise management and air quality: Parameter concentrations and noise levels remained below applicable limits and predicted levels.

    • Habitat restoration and wildlife: Native vegetation establishment in wetland and grassland habitats are progressing and wetland pockets/pools are functioning as intended. They are retaining water and there was an increased in species observed in on-site habitats including fish and breeding birds.

    • Surface water quality and quantity: No measurable change in Tributary A and Indian Creek. Groundwater level and quality remain stable or slightly above pre-construction levels due to heavy rainfall over the past year.

  • Although there have been no significant construction-related impacts in 2024, CN has implemented some adaptive measures to improve the environmental performance in the area, such as erosion control, herbicide spraying, and replanting of the wetland species.

  • R. Wai Kei Chiu noted two incidents that happened on site and the adaptive management that CN implemented:

    • Storm-related erosion at the regional diversion ditch.

    • ​Accidental clearing after a nest sweep: no nest sweep or bird mortality observed but conversations occurred with the contractor and an action plan has been put in place to improve the communication process. The incident was report to Environment and Climate Change Canada but no concerns were raised.

  • All of the above is included in the Annual Report that has been shared to the committee.

  • D. Reynolds noted that these follow-up programs are living programs and the intent of them is to showcase adaptive management process and how the team can continually improve the situation on site and how the team can adjust and address any environmental issues that occur. He gave kudos to R. Wai Kei Chiu for providing a good summary on the types of issues that can come up and how they can be addressed.

  • E. Thome asked if the invasive species program can be discussed during the site tour in June.

  • R. Wai Kei Chiu agreed but noted that generally the team doesn’t do too much vegetation control in order to encourage native vegetation resiliency.

• Schedule Adjustment (D. Reynolds)

  • The new schedule is available in the Annual Report and removes some of the previous years’ work, and effectively starts at 2025.

    • Lower Baseline Grade Separation work is on track to be completed in July.

    • On-site trick access road and overpass work is scheduled to go until September but may extend into October depending on weather.

    • Installation of the mainline tracks north of Britannia Road: Utility work and grading will continue throughout the year with track installation itself occurring in early 2026.

    • In late 2025, construction will start on service tracks, pad tracks along with underground works. Paving and asphalt installation will occur in 2027 along with track work.

    • In 2026, construction of administration and garage building with construction of facility gate occurring in 2027. Team is still targeting mid-2027 for operations.

    • It should be noted that the ongoing tariff issues will have an effect on goods moving forward. Although the need for goods will still remain but how they move is still an unknown.

    • There is discussion about the need for diversification of Canadian goods to ensure a resilient supply chain. As we look away from moving goods to the US, inland terminals become all the more critical to strengthen supply chains.

  • E. Thome clarified that the original schedule showed an end date of 2026; D. Reynolds clarified the schedule has been pushed back by half a year and noted that the rationale for the change is related to the economic environment. CN has been balancing investment across its network.

  • E. Thome requested more information on the gate design.

    • D. Reynolds reiterated that the team is holding off on building the gate so that the newest technologies can be made available to them. The plan is to reduce the need for physical gate infrastructure on site and transition to an app-based system. This will help to improve turn times at the site by minimizing the amount of time a truck is present at the facility.

  • E. Caldwell noted that in her government relations work, there is a lot of advocacy around the reduction of interprovincial trade barriers in Canada. She wondered if there is any consideration to that issue in the project’s communications plan and how CN can support increased trade activity across Canada.

  • D. Reynolds said that as a national railway, it is CN’s goal to provide customers with the ability to move goods from one location to another within the country. CN does have a brokerage team that focuses on movement of goods across borders, including across provincial boundaries. The Milton Logistics Hub is exactly the sort of project that would be beneficial to reducing interprovincial trade barriers.

  • Participant asked how the development of an additional CN facility in southwestern Ontario would impact the Milton Logistics Hub.

    • D. Reynolds said he was unsure which project specifically is being referenced but when it comes to all projects in southwestern Ontario, the Milon Logistics Hub will play an important role in moving containers to the west side of Toronto because containers can be brought to the western side of the city by train rather than by truck.

    • Participant later clarified that she was thinking of a project in Chicago to which D. Reynolds said that wouldn’t affect the Milton project as it is not intended to serve the southwestern Ontario market.

  • Given the extended construction schedule, E. Thome circled back to the frequency of meetings. She asked D. Reynolds if he felt there was a slowing down of the work being undertaken.

  • D. Reynolds says the amount of work being done is the same and that it’s just being stretched out over a longer period of time. Given the type of work that is upcoming, quarterly Community Consultation Committee meetings likely make sense.

  • E. Thome and T. Flynn will take away the new construction schedule along with the feedback from committee members and propose a new meeting schedule in June. The idea would be to meet ahead of important milestones to give thought and perspective on important elements rather than having meetings for meetings’ sake.

  • T. Flynn added that along with this discussion, they will look at adjusting meetings to being on the first Wednesday of the month. On the subject of the location for the next meeting following the site visit, the team has looked at available facilities but the boardroom on site is fairly small and won’t accommodate the group. He suggested the Country Heritage Park.

  • Participant suggested getting in contact with Taylor Henderson to finalize a meeting space and provided her phone number to T. Flynn.

  • Participant offered to see if the meeting can be hosted at one of Conestoga’s campuses

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Adjournment

• E. Thome noted that she is looking forward to seeing everyone in person in June for the tour. The team will reach out to find availability for the venue first and the circulate a poll to determine a meeting date.

• Adjournment was motioned by A. Ehrlick, seconded by W. Roberts.

Participant Record of Attendance for April 3, 2025