Tag Archives: rail

Governments do not have an unlimited pile of cash. This point often gets missed in the public debate about what government should, or should not, do. Passionate advocates for projects will simply argue that their program is worth it, or that it only costs so many cents per taxpayer. Politicians and public servants on the other hand, face the reality ...

Dear Brenda,   The Northern Policy Institute (NPI) recently published a report titled “The Thin Case for Passenger Rail in Ontario’s Northern Regions” which has left me in a state a profound dismay and disappointment. It contains some very misleading information and does little to improve sustainable transportation options desired by Northerners.   The document in question attempts to undermine ...

Passenger rail has been the subject of debate in Ontario’s northern regions for as long as anyone can remember. Most recently arguments have been put forward in support of passenger rail on the basis of; tourism, connectivity, equity, and economic spin off. Given this renewed enthusiasm, Northern Policy Institute posed the question: Does passenger rail make sense for Northern Ontario? ...

Dear Brenda,   National Post columnist Chris Selley says he wants VIA Rail’s transcontinental train axed: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-lets-kill-the-canadian-surely-the-first-worlds-most-dysfunctional-train   While I share some of Selley’s concerns, he misses key points that are vital to any debate about the train’s future.   When it was launched in 1955, The Canadian was the pride and joy of privately-owned Canadian Pacific (CP) and its future president ...