Category Archives for "Northern Ontario"

Building Canada requires a national rail strategy

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Northern Ontario , Southwestern Ontario

Transport Action strongly believes that a good freight and passenger rail network is a major component of a strong and independent Canada. However, with 5 decades of observation and advocacy, we have regretfully seen the opposite – a continuous diminution of Canada’s rail system.

Transport Action Canada and Transport Action Ontario have written Prime Minister Carney summarizing the reasons for this decline, including largely foreign ownership of our rail assets and continued populist actions by government to subsidize personal vehicle use.

Our letter recommended establishing a national strategic rail authority to:

• Identify the necessary rail network, including multi-modal inlands distribution centres
• Work with the industry to jointly develop shared investments that boost both freight and passenger rail service
• Support provincial rail investments
• Decline federal funding for urban highway expansions
• Maximize Canadian industrial benefits
• Maintain transparency on the Alto HSR project and on its impact on VIA Rail
• Encourage First Nation participation

Our letter is attached.

Optimizing the Role of Railways in Building Canada’s Economy

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News , Northern Ontario

Transport Action Ontario has written to the Premiers of Ontario and Alberta expressing our delight that both governments are considering expansion of rail services in Canada for resource development and increased interprovincial trade. Based on our observations from the decades of diminution of rail infrastructure under largely investor-focused, mainly foreign ownership, we provided the Premiers with a number of pragmatic suggestions including:

1. New and expanded infrastructure should be under public ownership.
2. Use crown corporations such as Ontario Northland Transportation Commission to develop the projects.
3. Consider indigenous partnerships.
4. Minimize U.S. capital and supplies.
5. Comparisons with highway alternatives should include long term and externalized costs.
6. Include consideration of passenger rail service and international rail tourism.
7. Public investment on privately-owned rail corridors must be included to increase resiliency and capacity on a mutually beneficial basis.
8. Provinces should “rail bank” all rail infrastructure considered surplus by private operators.

Our letter can be viewed below.

Photo: CN freight train passing Brantford station.

Response to Ontario Minister of Transport Letter to Federal Government

By Transport Action Ontario | Highways and Bridges , Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News , Northern Ontario , Southwestern Ontario , Urban Transit

On June 2, 2025, Ontario Minister of Transport Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria wrote to federal Minister of Transport and International Trade Chrystia Freeland outlining several areas where federal financial and regulatory assistance is needed to modernize Ontario’s transportation infrastructure. Specific items were identified for subways, highways, rail, marine, airports, electric vehicles and critical minerals.

While Transport Action Ontario supports a number of these items, we felt we needed to comment in several areas:

• The real costs of provincial highways is high
• Need more provincial focus on southwestern Ontario
• Need to improve existing rail asset utilization
• Rail abandonments need more scrutiny
• Regional equity and rail tourism need more focus
• Descoping and delays of GO Expansion project have serious consequences
• Highway 401 tunnel in GTHA is a bad idea
• Infrastructure for critical minerals should include freight rail

Our letter can be viewed below.

Annual Meetings – April 5, 2025

By Transport Action Ontario | Highways and Bridges , Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News , Northern Ontario , Urban Transit

Transport Action Ontario (TAO) and Transport Action Canada (TAC) invite all members and supporters to join us for our annual public meeting on April 5, 2025, to be followed by the Annual General Meetings of both organizations. The meetings will be in hybrid format – in person in Kingston, Ontario and virtual using ZOOM, and will start at 1:00 pm.

The public meeting will feature key notes speakers Carl Fowler on cross-border passenger rail, Shawn Marshall on mapping Canada’s motorcoach network and a discussion of Kingston as a future regional hub for VIA Rail/Alto.

For further details and registration information for the public meeting, click here.

The public meeting will be followed by the Annual General Meetings for both organizations – between 3:00 pm and 3:45 pm for TAC and between 3:45 – 4:30 pm for TAO. Members in good standing have received separate invites for these sessions.

Updated Bear Train business case released

By Transport Action Ontario | Northern Ontario

After a ten-year hiatus in passenger service, the Mask-wa Oo-ta-ban (Algoma Bear Train) may be poised to begin weekend-only operation between Sault Ste. Marie and the south end of Oba Lake if federal or provincial funding can be secured to restore service for residents and visitors to First Nations communities, lodges and camps in the region made famous by the Group of Seven artists.

The Mask-wa Transportation Association Inc. (MTA Inc.) and the Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains (CAPT) hosted a special event at the Agawa Canyon Tour Train Station on Thursday, December 12, 2024 to release the results of a study conducted by CPCS, a leading Canadian railway and infrastructure consultancy.

Mask-wa Transportation Association Inc., a non-profit corporation established by Missanabie Cree First Nation was pleased to announce that after intense analysis by CPCS, an updated Bear Train Business Case has been developed. This new business case includes updated financial projections, which will strengthen the feasibility and viability of the initiative.

Once all the necessary funding is secured, and with support from the Agawa Canyon Railroad line owner Watco, the Bear Train would be able to resume a weekend-only passenger service between Sault Ste. Marie and the south end of Oba Lake. MTA Inc. will approach federal and provincial governments in the new year to request ongoing operating funding for this service.

Watco, which took over operation of the 245-mile stretch of tracks running from the Sault to Oba from CN in 2022 and has continued operation of the seasonal Agawa Canyon Tour Train, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Missanabie Cree First Nation at the time regarding partnership opportunities for the Algoma Central Railway.

“This initiative is about more than transportation—it’s about a critical First Nations project, community connections and regional economic development,” said Chair, David MacLachlan. “We’re excited to bring this vision closer to reality with the support of our partners and community.”

To amplify these efforts, the Campaign for Algoma Passenger Trains will be launching a widespread advocacy campaign to rally support for the Bear Train funding. Community backing is essential to making this project a reality, as it promises significant benefits for First Nations communities and all residents along the Algoma Central Railway route.

To continue service north of Oba Lake, to the junction with the CN main line at Oba and up to Hearst, would require capital investment to repair the Oba Lake bridges there, which Transport Action Canada’s Beyond HFR report asks the federal government to consider.