Political bickering continues over short line railway

Provincial New Democrats continue to hound the McGuinty government for not getting on board to help subsidize track upgrades for a northeastern Ontario short-line railway.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused the McGuinty government of "waffling" on signing an infrastructure agreement with the federal government that would free up money to upgrade deteriorating track on the Huron Central Railway, operating between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

The railway and Sault Ste. Marie community leaders are waiting for Queen's Park and Ottawa to sign off on a so-called Provincial-Territorial Agreement that will get the money flowing.

"Ottawa has already committed stimulus funding. Why is Ontario holding up this project?," said Horwath in the legislature, March 24.

Premier Dalton McGuinty deferred the question to Energy and Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid who said the railway funding is "certainly one of the matters that's under consideration within the ministry. We'll continue to take it very seriously."

The Montreal-based railway wants an answer by the end of March. The company came within hours of last August of almost pulling service to the Sault and Espanola until the government and the City of Sault Ste. Marie made a last-minute deal to retain service on a one-year temporary agreement. This time the railway isn't waiting for this year's August deadline.

In a press release, Sault Ste. Marie MPP David Orazietti, who dismissed Horwarth's comments as grandstanding, said the NDP Leader failed to mention that both levels of government support the project and "are in the process of working towards an agreement."

The provincial government gave no time lines on when a funding announcement will be made.