It has been five years since the provincial liberal government cancelled the Northlander train.
This decision has had a huge impact on communities across Northern Ontario and Muskoka.
Politically it showed in no uncertain terms that to the Ontario liberal government there are two Ontario’s one that counts and one that doesn’t.
It is unacceptable for government to claim that subsidized public transit is a priority for urban, suburban regions while northerners told to put up with shut down rail stations and substandard privatized highway maintenance.
Across Canada we see the abandonment of the rural and the north. The shut down of provincial buslines in Sasktachewan, the closure of the train to Churchill, the chronic underfunding of VIA, the liberals walking away from the ACR and the Huron Central.
But in Northern Ontario citizens are coming together to fight for public transportation.
I welcome the work of the All Aboard coalition and will work full out with my provincial NDP colleagues to restore the Northlander.
Public transit is a right. And we look forward to the restoration of this necessary public transportation service.
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