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VIA Rail

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Lord knows I'm no fan of Trudeau for having called an election for what can only be described as selfish reasons while not having kept focus on seeing things to completion like Afghanistan evacuation, reconciliation deliverables (like drinking water), and the the pandemic finish line. To me it is like asking for a final report card to see if you passed halfway through the semester... of course you didn't pass yet! However, how can the Liberals fail to deliver on timelines for subways and light rail?? What subways and light rail is delivered by the federal government?? The cities and provinces apply for funding and then they may get it, but timelines are not in the federal hands.
 
Allandale25 said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1436699106395803653

www.theglobeandmail.com

Erin O’Toole pledges support for subways and rail projects, acknowledges Conservative platform offers no new cash

At a campaign stop in the Toronto area, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says Liberals have failed to deliver on timelines for projects such as subways and light rail
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com
Click to expand...
So basically status quo with no new investment. Why would you run on that kind of platform? What's the point? I guess it could be viewed as fiscally responsible.
 
Allandale25 said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1436699106395803653

www.theglobeandmail.com

Erin O’Toole pledges support for subways and rail projects, acknowledges Conservative platform offers no new cash

At a campaign stop in the Toronto area, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says Liberals have failed to deliver on timelines for projects such as subways and light rail
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com
Click to expand...

I read the article. The headline is misleading. The CPC position seems to be that they will disband the CIB and repurpose funds due to the bank for their infrastructure pledges.

Also, just to contrast none of the other platforms actually put a dollar figure on HFR either. It's always some commitment just to build it.
 
kEiThZ said:
I read the article. The headline is misleading. The CPC position seems to be that they will disband the CIB and repurpose funds due to the bank for their infrastructure pledges.

Also, just to contrast none of the other platforms actually put a dollar figure on HFR either. It's always some commitment just to build it.
Click to expand...
It says in the globe and mail that he is committed to building what is committed and funded. But there is no new money for new projects.

So HFR is not funded and approved so they don't need to commit to building it.

Like with any other projects, such as electrification of the west corridor.
 
Bordercollie said:
It says in the globe and mail that he is committed to building what is committed and funded. But there is no new money for new projects.

So HFR is not funded and approved so they don't need to commit to building it.
Click to expand...

HFR is listed among the projects they are committed to building. You can't on one hand accept they are going to contribute to GO RER and Yonge North, but then dismiss a commitment made in literally the same paragraph, to HFR. Did you read their platform? I did.

I get being partisan. But I take exception when people try and misrepresent what was actually said.

Bordercollie said:
Like with any other projects, such as electrification of the west corridor.
Click to expand...

What "west corridor"? There's nothing beyond a commitment to study HFR West from the Liberals. And nothing in that commitment ever said anything about electrification.
 
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Allandale25 said:
thereview.ca

High frequency passenger rail planned for Eastern Ontario, but Québec municipalities also interested

Gordon Lightfoot may have to add a verse to 'The Canadian Railroad Trilogy' if federal plans for expanded high-frequency passenger rail service ever go beyond the announcement stage. Those plans include local stops in Casselman and Alexandria, but municipal governments in Argenteuil also want...
thereview.ca thereview.ca
Click to expand...

I don't see how HFR service is viable north of the Ottawa River between Gatineau and Montreal. The best hope for Argenteuil to get rail service would be for EXO to extend a branch of the Saint-Jérôme line to Lachute, but with a CA population of 12,862 (compared to Saint-Jérôme's population of 77,146), I am not sure that even that is viable. Even if you look at all of Argenteuil, its population is only 32,389. The only reason why Casselman and Alexandria (which admittedly are significantly smaller) will be getting service with HFR is they coincidentally happen to be on the ROW between Ottawa and Montreal that VIA already owns and uses.
 
sacred said:
2035. 2035… 2035……………
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I am giving the LPC a shot this election. But if that "start of the procurement process" doesn't evolve to an RFP with a delivery timeline that has me riding an HFR train well before the end of the decade, soon after this election, they'll have lost my vote. I'm sick of this nonsense.
 
kEiThZ said:
I am giving the LPC a shot this election. But if that "start of the procurement process" doesn't evolve to an RFP with a delivery timeline that has me riding an HFR train well before the end of the decade, soon after this election, they'll have lost my vote. I'm sick of this nonsense.
Click to expand...

It’s sad that of the three major national parties, the CPC seems to be promoting HFR the most. They still haven’t won my vote (not that it really matters in my riding), but it’s still sad.
 
kEiThZ said:
I am giving the LPC a shot this election. But if that "start of the procurement process" doesn't evolve to an RFP with a delivery timeline that has me riding an HFR train well before the end of the decade, soon after this election, they'll have lost my vote. I'm sick of this nonsense.
Click to expand...

You are more forgiving than me…….and I’m a Leafs fan, so I have been applying your exact philosophy for quite a while now ;-)

I didn’t vote according to the transportation file alone, but in general the Liberals lost my support by governing as if they had the next election in the bag, and didn’t see the need to accomplish anything much specific before it came along. They don’t appear to understand that they dodged a bullet last time by virtue of CPC putting forward a very weak leadership candidate. I’m not saying the new guy is all that impressive, but he has certainly closed the race. When considering whether to renew a mandate I place more weight on their past performance than their current platform, I guess. HFR’s slow pace certainly exemplifies that complacency.

If the CPC does form the next government, and moves on HFR, it will certainly serve the LPC a dose of what they sowed.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
You are more forgiving than me…….and I’m a Leafs fan, so I have been applying your exact philosophy for quite a while now ;-)

I didn’t vote according to the transportation file alone, but in general the Liberals lost my support by governing as if they had the next election in the bag, and didn’t see the need to accomplish anything much specific before it came along. They don’t appear to understand that they dodged a bullet last time by virtue of CPC putting forward a very weak leadership candidate. I’m not saying the new guy is all that impressive, but he has certainly closed the race. When considering whether to renew a mandate I place more weight on their past performance than their current platform, I guess. HFR’s slow pace certainly exemplifies that complacency.

If the CPC does form the next government, and moves on HFR, it will certainly serve the LPC a dose of what they sowed.

- Paul
Click to expand...

I was really tempted to vote blue this time after the CPC included HFR in their campaign platform. The only thing stopping me was the CPC climate plan which is still somewhat nonsensical. And that's mostly because we're at a pretty critical moment on climate policy with EVs ramping up, ESG rules and possible peak oil pressuring Canadian oil, I wanted a party that actually accepted climate change to be in the driver's seat. Two years from now? It won't matter who is in charge with the market driving change.

Childcare? Well I'm past that stage. But now I get to bid on housing against people who have even more in their pocket thanks to childcare subsidies I'll be paying for with my taxes.

This really is the last straw for me. I am sick of the Liberals using infrastructure, climate and now the pandemic, as an excuse to just keep mailing cheques to buy votes. If they don't deliver, not only will blue get my vote after this, they will be getting a donation too.

I am beyond pissed at Liberal incompetence on this file and just their absolute unwillingness to basically move on a project that actually has broad public support.
 
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