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PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATION of the ALDERSHOT DISTRICT To the Aldershot Property Owner: The disclosure last May of the Canadian National Railway proposal to establish a set-off yard in the Aldershot area aroused strong and united opposition by the district residents. This opposition, together with a petition bearing 5,000 names, was further supported by Burlington Town Council. Council then directed the Town Engineer and the Director of Planning to propose alternative sites for the set-off yard. Council also authorized Mayor Owen Mullin and Councillor Jordan to negotiate with Mr. Donald Gordon, President of the Canadian National Railway, together with a delegate from the Aldershot Property Owners' Association. In response to many inquiries concerning the developments which have taken place, we feel that a specific statement at this time would be of value. Your Association co-operated in the obtaining of 5,000 names on the petition objecting to the location of this yard. The President, on behalf of the Association, met with representatives of the Town and the Canadian National Railway for a discussion of this problem. Following the rejection of the alternative sites by the Canadian National Railway's representative as being impractical from an engineering standpoint, we requested them to present their objectives and intentions in a written statement. While the proposed site was most suitable from an engineering point of view, our subsequent studies of this letter of intent disclosed another approach which could eliminate the need for the set-off yard. In the Canadian National Railway's letter of intent they state that their purpose is to move box-cars from the Niagara and Windsor gateways to Oakville, Port Credit and Toronto without taking them through the main yard in Vaughan Township. Their operating procedure in this matter created the need for a set-off yard at Aldershot between their western and eastern main line junctions where such trains would be re-assembled. These trains would then proceed to their original destinations. In this day of electronic computers, the advantages arising from a proper programming of operating schedules as the desirable alternative to the obvious disadvantages involved in the set-off yard are apparent. Then, the objectionable features of this set-off yard to the district and the heavy expenditure required by the Canadian National Railway would be eliminated to the best interests of all concerned. This alternate proposal has been presented to our local Member of Parliament, Mr. M. J. Sams, who is taking up this matter with his colleagues in Ottawa. We expect to obtain full consideration of this proposal which would eliminate the problem completely or be given a valid reason as to why it is necessary to spend public moneys on this costly set-off yard and thus, substantially interfere with the use and enjoyment of private property and the health and well-being of the homeowners concerned. Trusting this letter has been informative, this and other matters affecting the Aldershot residents will continue to receive our close attention. Kenneth A. Wharton, President.