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Peterborough, a riding to watch

Author: Miranda Hussey (Liberal)

13 Sep

Peterborough, being a bell weather riding, is always destined to be a close race. Lawn signs for both the Liberals and Conservatives started appearing almost instantaneously after the writ was dropped and have been appearing in roughly equal numbers ever since.

Both parties have also already brought in high profile MPs for campaign events, Martha Hall-Findlay for the Liberals and Jim Flaherty for the Conservatives. The Conservatives are also pushing a rail transit line exclusively for Peterborough. However, when they initially made the announcement about it in the last budget neither GO Transit or Via Rail wanted anything to do with it making the promise a little more than an attempt at a vote grab.

Filed under: East-Central Ontario, Liberal, Miranda Hussey (Liberal), Ontario

2 Responses for "Peterborough, a riding to watch"

Ann D September 14th, 2008 at 5:39 pm 1
Peterborough residents are being subjected to a campaign of misinformation surrounding the status of the train. Many residents believe that the train is coming to Peterborough when, in fact, the train has yet to receive approval. Here are just the two latest examples:

1. Yesterday, The Toronto Sun re-ran a story it published a month ago, focusing on an anticipated housing boom in Peterborough once service on the Toronto-Peterborough rail link begins. “Service should begin within two years,” the article reported. See http://www.torontosun.com/resalehomes/2008/09/12/6747261.html

The truth of the matter is that the train has yet to be approved. As the Peterborough Examiner reiterated this past Saturday (see link under point 2): “Ontario and the federal Conservative government each committed as much as $150 million in the Building Canada Fund agreement towards the Peterborough commuter rail line in July — contingent on the results of a study being done by Metrolinx.”

2. Saturday’s Peterborough Examiner noted:
“As far as Del Mastro was concerned, bringing the rail link to Peterborough was a done deal.
‘I got the rail. I did and I couldn’t have done it without Jim Flaherty.’

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1198586
Bill Ditchburn October 12th, 2008 at 7:32 pm 2
I can’t help but feel that the whole train thing is a classic smoke and mirrors sideshow. Many locals talk about it as though the train were a done deal (it isn’t) and as though it is going to be the economic saviour of Peterborough – it isn’t. Some people mistake it for a commercial freight link that will benefit local businesses. We already have a freight link, people.

All this train will do, if it ever comes, will be to carry passengers from Peterborough, and points south and west, to Toronto.

Think about it. Everywhere along the line wants the train to stop there. So it will be a long journey. It is extremely unlikely that the feds are going to subsidise the project, so it will either run at a loss, or a ticket will cost a small fortune. I don’t think there is a passenger rail network anywhere in the world that breaks even without a subsidy. This will be no different.

So, put it together. The train will be expensive, slow and relatively inconvenient. People will react, as we usually do, predictably. Those who currently take the bus will continue to take the bus. Those who currently drive will continue to drive. If the train does ever comes back it will not last two years before the plug is pulled for underuse.

More likely however is that the Metrolix feasibility study will recognise the truth – after the election is over of course – and there will be no train. At which point del Mastro will throw up his hands and say, “don’t blame me, I did all I could!” It is screamingly obvious to anyone who looks that the reasons we lost the rail link in the first place have not changed. I am sure Mr del Mastro is fully aware of that.

Dean is playing on the fact that people (who will not take it if they get it) want it back. I think it’s a bit cynical and insulting, though to be honest, the people he’s pitching it to kind of deserve it, since they don’t seem to be willing to figure it out for themselves.

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