'It's really going to gut the town': CN closing Jasper crew change terminal

CN Rail will be establishing a new crew change facility in the Hinton-Dalehurst area and closing its existing Jasper facility effective Sept. 1, 2025.

Between 150 to 200 Jasper-based employees will be required to report for work in the Hinton-Dalehurst area. CN says this decision was made to minimize train stops between Edmonton and Blue River.

“Jasper will always remain an important community for CN and our employees,” said Ashley Michnowski, spokesperson for CN, in an email. “These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the Town of Jasper.”

Michnowski added that these changes would not take effect until September 2025 at the earliest.

“We are committed to supporting our employees through this transition and updating them on the progress of this change,” she said.

Ray Donegan, general chairperson of Conductors-Trainpersons-Yardpersons (CTY) for CN Lines West, which is part of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, described the closure announcement as “horrible timing.”

“Jasper’s just starting to see the light of day from this horrific natural disaster, and then to be faced with what’s essentially a corporate disaster,” Donegan said. “The quest for corporate greed is dropping this into Jasper at the worst possible time.”

He doubted whether the decision would result in any efficiency, noting a crew change usually takes only 15 or 20 minutes at most.

Discussions between CN and the union are expected to begin in three weeks or a month. While the union can negotiate the adverse effects of this material change on its members, such as asking for driving allowances, the decision to close the terminal falls under CN’s right to manage.

Donegan said it was unclear if the closure would make some railroaders no longer eligible residents under Parks Canada rules. The concern is specifically for employees who are single or don’t have a spouse who works.

While CN is planning to apply for an exemption, this leaves much uncertainty for employees, particularly those who lost a home in the fire.

“Are they going to rebuild back in Jasper? And if they don't rebuild back and Jasper, how's that going to affect their house insurance?” Donegan asked. “There’s so many unknowns at this point in time the company hasn’t really delved into very deeply.”

Donegan noted that many employees, particularly those living west of Jasper, would have to move to Hinton so they can make the two-hour call, even though Hinton is facing its own housing pressures.

Since the Jasper wildfire, railroaders have been reporting to Hinton while contractors work to restore the Jasper bunkhouse, which was impacted but not destroyed. Donegan said the bunkhouse is undergoing a deep clean and will likely reopen in October.

The decision potentially impacting between 150 and 200 employees as well as their families, Donegan fears the decision will “gut the town,” especially since rail was the biggest industry in Jasper besides tourism.

“I'm just so disappointed that they would do that to their own employees with no real plan,” he said. “They’re just sort of winging it.”

In a statement to the Fitzhugh, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said he was “deeply disappointed” by CN’s decision and that the move would have a major impact on local jobs, families and the community fabric.

“We recognize that business decisions are driven by many factors, but the timing of this announcement intensifies and deepens the pain already felt throughout Jasper,” Ireland said. “The loss of a major employer like CN in a small town creates immeasurable challenges, none of which can be underestimated.”

Ireland added that his thoughts were with affected CN employees and their families and hoped that CN will support affected workers.