Unions call on government to take over short line

A coalition of railway unions is calling on Queen's Park to take over operations on the threatened Ottawa Valley Railway in northeastern Ontario.

The General Chairperson's Association (GCA) is supporting the City of North Bay's motion calling for action by the federal and provincial governments to secure the railway by instructing the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission to operate the line as part of a regional transportation plan.

GCA spokesman Brian Kelly said rail infrastructure is "too important" for the economic and social wellbeing of the North to be "abandoned or underfunded."

The owners of the track, Canadian Pacific (CP), is searching for a new short line railroad after Genesee & Wyoming announced last December it was terminating its lease with CP, which had pulled all of its cross-Canada traffic off the Sudbury to Smiths Falls track.

CP is looking for a another short-line operator to take over the line. The Ottawa Valley Railway is connected to the Ontario Northland Railway in North Bay, said Kelly, and would require no additional infrastructure or equipment to operate and maintain.

"The ONTC has played a huge role in developing the Northeast and we are certain it can do the same in other regions of the North," said Kelly in an April 7 statement. "It is the only long term solution that can truly deal with this crisis."

The GCA consists of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, United Steel Workers and Canadian Auto Workers unions who represent unionized workers at Ontario Northland.