Ontera first on chopping block

The provincial government has announced that Ontera will be the first Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) business line up for sale. 

Infrastructure Ontario will be inviting interested buyers to submit their qualifications to purchase Ontera, the telecommunications system branch.

The divestment of the ONTC was announced in March, but to date, no details of that process have been released.

The government also said the Northlander train from Cochrane to Toronto will stop running after Sept. 28, but regular train service will continue until that date. Every community served by the Northlander train is also served by ONTC bus service that will continue to run as usual.

The Polar Bear Express train service will not be affected and will continue to provide the same service to rural and remote communities between Cochrane and Moosonee.

According to a provincial government release, an environmental assessment exemption has been granted for all activities of the ONTC divestment process. However, Ontario's strong legislative and regulatory requirements must still be met.

The Niska I ferry, which sails between Moosonee and Moose Factory Island, is being transferred to the Owen Sound Transportation Company, with no changes to service.

“Funds used to operate the ONTC are better spent in helping tackle the deficit, protecting the province's gains in health care and education and in valuable Northern Ontario job creation and infrastructure programs such as the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and the Northern Highways Program,” the release said.

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said there are no savings to be had with the divestment.

“I have proven this government will spend hundreds of millions of dollars in pension payouts, keeping the Polar Bear Express running, subsidizing smaller feeder bus routes, not to mention severance costs and environmental issues,” he said in a press release.

While providing partial details on its next steps on divestment, the Liberal government has done nothing to allay the fears and economic uncertainty its created among residents, businesses and Ontario Northland customers throughout Northeastern Ontario by failing to communicate clearly with Northerners, the release said.

“The fact that as of right now Ontera is the only business line up for sale is proof the government had no plan and is doing this by the seat of their pants,” said Fedeli. “After nearly five months, shouldn’t they be able to tell us exactly how they plan to proceed?”

Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson and Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof said in a press release that the Liberal government has sped up the divestment of the ONTC in order to silence community critics.

“People across northeastern Ontario have been fighting the privatization and divestment of the ONTC for months,” said Bisson. “Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of these communities, the Liberals have sped up the privatization process.”