(The following story by Carl Clutchey appeared on the Chronicle Journal website on December 23.)
THUNDER BAY, Ontario — There may be easier ways to make a buck.
But one of the most physically demanding jobs one can have is starting to look a little better to some Northwestern Ontario residents in need of work.
People who live in hard-hit forestry communities, like Nakina, are considering a career in railroading.
“It may require living away from home, and the hours are different (than a lumber mill) but there are some people here who have been trying to get on with CN (Rail) and have gone for training,” Greenstone Coun. Jay Daiter, who lives in Nakina, said Monday.
Schreiber Mayor Madge Richardson, whose town has a CPR terminal, said she wasn‘t aware of the railway hiring in great numbers but said the company remains a key employer as area mills struggle.
CPR has “been a very stable employer, although they have moved out some of their office positions,” said Richardson.
About 200 Schreiber, Rossport and Terrace Bay residents work for CPR. That‘s equivalent to a lumber mill.
CPR and Thunder Bay‘s Confederation College sponsored a course to train new rail conductors.
For it‘s part, CN would not confirm that laid-off forestry workers are finding jobs on its rail lines.
“Given the recent downturn in the economy and the challenges it poses to our business, CN is not hiring at present,” company spokesman Mark Hallman said in an email.
“Employment levels are constantly adjusted to balance workforce to workload and to recognize productivity gains,” Hallman added.