About
Mask-wa Oo-ta-ban, the "Bear Train," is an initiative of the Missanabie Cree First Nation and Mask-wa Transportation Association Inc., communities, and socio-economic stakeholders along the Algoma passenger train rail corridor to resume this essential service.
The Algoma passenger train provided safe, reliable, all-season transportation to and through the remote wilderness regions of Algoma. This service allowed First Nations rights-holders safe, reliable access to their traditional lands and socio-economic opportunities. It offered property owners safe, reliable access to their properties and offered business owners and their employees safe, reliable access to businesses and work. It provided visitors and tourists safe, reliable and unique access to one of the most beautiful wilderness recreation areas in the world.
The Algoma passenger train is important to the economic, employment, social and remote access needs of the First Nations, communities, businesses, property owners and visitors to the Algoma region. The Algoma region is a distressed area for employment and economic opportunity. The $40 – $50 million in economic activity and the hundreds of jobs the Algoma passenger train supported directly and indirectly are vital to the region’s economic sustainability.
Although industrial roads allow periodic access to some of Algoma’s remote regions, industrial roads are often not safe, and frequently unreliable because industrial roads are built and maintained at the discretion of industry when, if, and how they need them. Industrial roads cannot be considered true public access unless a level of government commits to upgrading and maintaining these roads permanently as safe, reliable access. The costs upgrading and maintaining the industrial roads as safe, reliable public access be truly substantial on an ongoing basis.
