Junction Triangle

There were more than 100 demonstrators in front of the YMCA this morning. There were also various media outlets (Globe and Mail, City TV, CBC, etc.) and politicians of various stripes, including Cheri Di Novo (MPP for Parkdale-High Park), Andrew Cash (Federal candidate for Davenport), Frances Nunzita (Councillor Ward 11) and Adam Vaughan (Councillor Ward 20). My understanding is that Ana Bailao (Councillor Ward 18) was also there, but I can't confirm that. At the demonstration, we were also told that Mayor Ford has written to the Government asking for electrification. Mysteriously absent from all of this activity is Tony Ruprecht (MPP for Davenport).

After the demonstration, some of the demonstrators went to the Metrolinx Board meeting where it was announced that the Board was unanimously recommending electrification to the Government. This was met by cheers from the crowd, and it is definitely a small victory. This suggests that the Government should have been listening to electrification advocates 7 years ago.

After the Board meeting, Cheri Di Novo invited the demonstrators back to the Legislature for a press conference in the media room. Speaking at the media conference was Cheri Di Novo, Stephen Dorsey (from Stop Dirty Diesel Trains) and Mike Sullivan (from Clean Train Coalition).

The one thing that was clear from the media conference is that the Government's position has not changed as a result of the recommendations coming from the Metrolinx Board. The Government is still planning on buying diesel trains in February to meet their commitment to the Pan Am Games (a two-week sporting event). What has changed is that the government is now paying lip service to electrification, promising it will happen in the future. Promising, however, is not the same thing as making it happen.

Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne told reporters today, “I think it’s consistent with what the electrification study showed. This is an aspirational end state that we’d like to see in the future.” My personal opinion is that with language such as “an aspirational end state,” and with uncertainty about the political future of the Province, we can’t let the Government build diesel trains, because we will be stuck with them into the indefinite future. As voters and taxpayers, we need to ensure the Government follows through on their own recommendations to electrify.