When crude-by-rail peaked in Saskatchewan, Stewart Southern Railway, the shortline from Stoughton to just outside of Regina, played a big part.
Now Blair Stewart, who founded Stewart Southern Rail, is deeply concerned about energy issues, including, ironically, pipelines.
Stewart is one of the organizers behind the Regina Rally Against the Carbon Tax on April 4. He hails from Fillmore.
“I’ve been involved in ag all my life. I had an export company I started in 1986. And then, I was the founder of Stewart Southern Railway in 2010. In 2010, we started to move oil. Everything on our poster, I support. I’ve always been part of it all my life,” Stewart said.
Asked what his issues are, he said, “Stop the carbon tax, kill Bill C-48 and Bill C-69. And the last one is build the pipelines. If you kill those two bills, then we’ll be fine.”
Stewart will have a truck in the convoy taking place before the rally.
“I think all four of those issues blend together. That’s the reason Western Canada has come to a standstill.”
He went on, “C-48, to me, as a Canadian, I can’t believe we live in Canada and some government can implement a bill that says we cannot ship western oil. It’s banned from northern B.C. Why can’t we put a pipeline through and put it on a ship, when Eastern Canada is totally allowed to do it. Call it a double standard, call it what you want. We’re importing from Saudi Arabia and Iran.”
