Propane shipment heading to Churchill after residents ordered to ration use
A ship carrying propane will arrive today, Port of Churchill announces
A critical shipment of propane is arriving in Churchill earlier than expected.
The Port of Churchill announced Friday that a ship carrying the gas is expected to arrive today, well ahead of the planned delivery date in mid-July. The transfer of the gas to the community tanks is expected to take 18 hours.
The community had issued an emergency notice last week to conserve propane because of low supplies and no shipment on the horizon.
A Woodward's fuel vessel is also forecast to deliver diesel fuel and gasoline to Churchill this weekend.
The town had received its gas by rail until a flood swept away portions of the track in May 2017.
The propane shortage has been another hardship for a community battered by setbacks since the flooding.
A deal to buy the rail line appeared to flounder earlier this week when a spokesperson for Omnitrax Rail — the American firm that owns the rail line to Churchill — cast doubt that a group of Manitoba communities and a Toronto financial firm could reach an agreement to buy the line and port in the town.
Omnitrax was ordered last month to begin repairs on the rail line, which the firm has long maintained it cannot afford. The company has said it plans to appeal the order.