kEiThZ
Superstar
We have no idea what they'll do till they are in office. Hope for the best is all we can do.
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VIA Rail
- Thread starter ehlow
- Start date
crs1026
Superstar
^The interesting thing about the long distance trains is that, while they represent nobody’s idea of a useful transportation function, they do represent a fair number of good paying jobs in Western Canada. So even PP would have to tread carefully to cancel the trains.
I am not optimistic that the trains will survive - but the decision is not a slam dunk. Perhaps it will be a pitch not unlike Pepin in 1981, where he argued that in order to fund new things (this time Western highways, perhaps, where Pepin bought LRCs) Ottawa must find cuts somewhere else.
Even with current Weatern Canadian sentiments, losing those jobs will not happen without pushback.
- Paul
I am not optimistic that the trains will survive - but the decision is not a slam dunk. Perhaps it will be a pitch not unlike Pepin in 1981, where he argued that in order to fund new things (this time Western highways, perhaps, where Pepin bought LRCs) Ottawa must find cuts somewhere else.
Even with current Weatern Canadian sentiments, losing those jobs will not happen without pushback.
- Paul
Frank_Lee
Active Member
Realistically, although Peloquin has a surprising degree of gumption, I imagine progress on HFR/HSR or anything else intercity will have to be championed by the Legault and Ford or whoever their successors will be. I can imagine a world where the feds will cough up money provided the provinces at least match it and the federal government gets to put signs every 100 metres saying "Rebuilding Canada's Infrastructure" or something. Not that this is particularly likely, though...
Frank_Lee
Active Member
That is, under a CPC government, provided the CPC does particularly well in Ontario and Quebec.
dowlingm
Senior Member
I recall quite a bit of doom and gloom when Harper came to power, but things were already pretty grim after the Paul Martin years, and the Kingston sub third tracking (mixed blessing though it turned out to be - cost overruns and truncated scope) came from that Harper period.
I have zero time for PP but I suspect there might be enough brain cells in his cadre to at least see how Northlander pans out (operationally and politically) before making any cuts, or promises of further renewal. That will likely agitate the LD advocates but a hasty order before the Liberals exit may simply result in the sort of cancel with penalties and hope for reorder we have seen before in the armed forces multiple times in the last 20 years.
I have zero time for PP but I suspect there might be enough brain cells in his cadre to at least see how Northlander pans out (operationally and politically) before making any cuts, or promises of further renewal. That will likely agitate the LD advocates but a hasty order before the Liberals exit may simply result in the sort of cancel with penalties and hope for reorder we have seen before in the armed forces multiple times in the last 20 years.
warrens
New Member
I'm not surprised at all. Ford was an advocate for the Sheppard Subway extension as early as 2011 (despite it not being anywhere near his ward), and of course his brother famously wanted to build subways, subways, subways.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
Although I don't see prime minister Pierre supporting rail transportation in any form, if you look at what's going on south of the border, they are investing tons of money into rail and it would be an embarrassment if we destroyed our national passenger rail service. I don't think rural conservative voters would stand for it.
At the same time I wonder if they would actually win a majority....as much as the poles indicate he would I think that another minority Liberal Government with the NDP backing them might be a more likely reality. It would be nice if we had a more competent leader but there is nobody who would be a good candidate.
kEiThZ
Superstar
This forum vastly overestimates how much rural residents care about VIA. Especially outside the a few towns paralleling the 401. You can drive 30 mins north of the 401 and find people don't care about rail.
Also, good chunks of the base maybe rural. But elections are fought and won in the suburbs. Their policies are being decided by what sells in the burbs.
Every poll says they are in strong majority territory.
kEiThZ
Superstar
Ford's family has history with old school Progressive Conservatives, the wing of the party that built a lot of the infrastructure in Ontario. His current push with transit investment is simply an effort to extend that legacy.
I'm not sure there is much that will convince PP. But I do think he can be convinced by economic arguments. We now have a ton of press about how bad productivity is in this country. GDP per capita hasn't grown in years. To some extent, certain infrastructure projects like HSR can provide a kickstart. But again no idea. He could just turn out to be the federal version of Mike Harris.
T3G
Senior Member
Subways, subways, subways was a culture war that pitted the latte sipping downtown condo dwellers against the honest, hard working, rustic folk of Scarborough, and it was done only because Rob Ford hated streetcars for the space they took away on the roads from motorists. It was definitely not a good faith push to expand transit.
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
That land is very quickly being turned into sprawl. Let's not ignore this fact when arguing against improving transit options.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
But I don't know if you can just eliminate services to rural communities at a whim. Is that a transport Canada decision? How much influence does the sitting government have on the direction of transport Canada?
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
This. The Ontario Line wasn't proposed/built because it was needed it was proposed as a way to spit in the eyes of the transit planners and city councilors who he fought his subways, subways, subways for the suburbs culture war. And for him to stand up and say "look at how I get things done". Recall he completely scrapped the existing DRL plans that had long been in the hopper and had years of studies, just to pull his own napkin drawing out of his hat. It was purely for political points, that the line actually serves a needed function was secondary
micheal_can
Senior Member
Tell that to the communities that lost service in the 1990s.
crs1026
Superstar
Or in 1981. The Governor in Council (ie the Cabinet) does have the power to cancel trains.
- Paul