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Speakers announced for upcoming rail summit

Event will take place in the Sault on April 19
moore, corina ontc cd 2016
ONTC president and CEO Corina Moore will be the special guest speaker during the Northeastern Ontario Passenger Rail Summit on April 19. (Chris Dawson photo)

A final slate of speakers has been announced for the rail summit being held in Sault Ste. Marie on April 19.

The Northeastern Ontario Passenger Rail Summit is a joint initiative of the Northeastern Ontario Rail Network (NEORN), Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains (CAPT) and the Committee Promoting Muskoka Rail Travel (CPMRT).

Speakers at the one-day event will include:

  • Bruce Budd, president of the transportation advocacy group Transport Action Canada;
  • Ken Bitten, a 40-year veteran of the rail industry;
  • Sylvan Gervais, Bombardier’s director of operations and maintenance for Canada; and
  • Corina Moore, president-CEO of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC).

Moore, who was earlier announced as the event’s special guest speaker, is expected to give an overview of the ONTC’s services, including its passenger rail and freight service between Cochrane and Moosonee, freight services across Northeastern Ontario, and a recently expanded bus network.

An additional 17 attendees are expected to speak throughout the day.

Event organizers say its purpose is to give an opportunity for stakeholders to “plan how to have modern passenger rail service provided on existing rail beds in northeastern Ontario.”

Those encouraged to attend include representatives from First Nations, municipalities, post-secondary institutions, health-care organizations, and organizations for people with disabilities; businesses, tourism organizations, environmental organizations, and rail advocates; provincial and federal officials, and politicians.

More information is available here.