SQUAMISH/CKNW(AM980) - Those living along the Cheakamus River were invited to an open house last evening, for an update on last year's CN train derailment and toxic spill.

Among other things, they learned The Cheakamus Ecosystem Restoration Technical Committee is still evaluating the impacts of the toxic spill before implementing recovery programs.

We do know the number of dead fish, a number that's staggering to Brian Clark, Regional Manager with the Ministry of Environment, "We're estimating over 500-thousand, but to me that number isn't as significant as the 90 per cent, because it depends on how big the river is, with 500-thousand. But 90 per cent of everything in the river, that's the one that shocks me."

Steelhead were worst impacted, and Dennis Louis with the Squamish First Nation says the spill couldn't have come at a worse time, "This was one of the better years they had since the early 1970s, the steelhead that were caught and counted over 3 to 400 steelhead were caught prior to this."

The Ministry says it will take 25 to 40 years to restore the steelhead population.

But the Minister stresses that investigation is not complete.

© CKNW(AM980) 2006