When CPR built the railroads it was with the understanding that they got every other section for 25 miles from the railroad. Now I'm not real sure if this was on every line or just basically the main lines. Which was fine and dandy as the railroad had to be paid for some way. CPR turned around and sold the land to recoup their expenses. For a very brief time they let the oil and gas rights sell with some of this land...therefore free-hold mineral rights for some farmers. But the majority of the mineral rights and ALL of the coal rights were kept by CPR. Now as they abandon the rail lines don't you think it is fair that they turn the oil rights back to the people? I mean they recouped their investment from the sale of the land(not to mention their 100 years of predatory freight rates!).
Here is a little story my buddy told me. He was a geologist working for a Calgary firm back in the seventies. They drilled an exploration well out at Big Valley and she came in big time...A teapot dome ...4000 barrels a day. Anyway the old boy who owned the land was a bachelor about 60 yrs. old. He owned the free hold mineral rights. My bud said it was hard times! This guy lived in a shack and ran a few scrawny cows. So when my friend went and told him that he would be getting some sizable royalty checks in the mail he was pretty happy. My friend said have you ever thought what you might do with the money John(that was the farmers name)?
"Well" this old boy says "I've never in my life owned a new pick-up and I just might consider buying one if you think I will have enough money?" My friend assured him he could buy a pickup(The royalty checks averaged $720,000/month!)
Anyway my buddy got stuck in the office for a whole year before he was back in that area. He thought he would check in on John and see how things had changed.
Up the laneway he went...same old ratty shack...same old scrawny cows. When he knocked on the door John was very glad to see him. He said" You just have to see my new pickup. She is a beaut!!"
So they went around back and there was the new pickup....about the cheapest most barebones truck in Alberta!!! But that old boy thought he had the world by the tail!!!
Here is a little story my buddy told me. He was a geologist working for a Calgary firm back in the seventies. They drilled an exploration well out at Big Valley and she came in big time...A teapot dome ...4000 barrels a day. Anyway the old boy who owned the land was a bachelor about 60 yrs. old. He owned the free hold mineral rights. My bud said it was hard times! This guy lived in a shack and ran a few scrawny cows. So when my friend went and told him that he would be getting some sizable royalty checks in the mail he was pretty happy. My friend said have you ever thought what you might do with the money John(that was the farmers name)?
"Well" this old boy says "I've never in my life owned a new pick-up and I just might consider buying one if you think I will have enough money?" My friend assured him he could buy a pickup(The royalty checks averaged $720,000/month!)
Anyway my buddy got stuck in the office for a whole year before he was back in that area. He thought he would check in on John and see how things had changed.
Up the laneway he went...same old ratty shack...same old scrawny cows. When he knocked on the door John was very glad to see him. He said" You just have to see my new pickup. She is a beaut!!"
So they went around back and there was the new pickup....about the cheapest most barebones truck in Alberta!!! But that old boy thought he had the world by the tail!!!
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