More Maritime Statism, Or Why Atlantic Canada Needs a Dagny Taggart

Today, the CBC reports that members of Nova Scotia's legislative assembly are asking for the government's intercession to prevent a portion of a rail line from closing, despite the fact that it is privately-owned.

But the government's view is irrelevant, you say? Not in Nova Scotia. According to the article:

The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway has applied to the provincial regulator for permission to abandon the service, citing a lack of traffic.

Unlucky is he who operates a railroad in Nova Scotia--you are unable to decide whether to eliminate an unprofitable area of your enterprise without government sanction.

Yet another example of the Maritime model of economic efficiency, perhaps?