[Mihairokov]

It's not that I necessarily disagree with the skeptics. I also think there's a very high chance that PP will just cancel this.

The Conservatives would have to win a majority first and the odds of that are disappearing by the day.

Poilievre's riding is on the HSR route. I'd like to hear his reasoning for why his constituents shouldn't be able to get to Toronto or Montreal in half the time it takes today, if this is the case.

 

[guavadelic]

What about phase 2 to Windsor ?

That segment will likely need to be provincially led, or at the minimum a partnership between the feds/province with province offering important funding.

 

[sixrings]

The new “line in the sand” that is now drawn by this announcement after decades of just dreaming is really worth celebrating. It doesn’t matter whether the politician is outgoing or even loved…. There is now an alignment within the bureaucracy and within one party that tilts towards investment in something. That’s a huge shift in the solidity of the concept from past decades…. It’s now a statement of “should do” versus “might do”.
The Liberals have been so toe in the water about this idea for the last decade, it’s good to see even this amount of forward momentum. I am sure there will be criticism and dissenting views offered during the upcoming election campaign…. But the idea has roots now.

- Paul

The liberals announce everything transit wise and then defer spending. If this was so important Trudeau had years to do this. I find it obnoxious that on the way out he can suggest what we should be spending money on. Forget about Pierre cancelling this. And you think that Pierre voters would actually vote liberal if he suggested he was going to cancel it. Pierre supporters are voting conservative or nothing. And let’s not forget the liberals. Mark could kill this.

 

[Towered]

Also very one sided towards French companies. How can they say they're an international consortium when they're all based out of Paris and Montréal? Sounds political to me

I'm guessing that was likely necessary to get buy-in from Quebec.

 

[Towered]

Also, as someone not terribly familiar with Montreal - why is Laval getting a station when it's right next to Montreal?

 

[guavadelic]

It's not that I necessarily disagree with the skeptics. I also think there's a very high chance that PP will just cancel this. I would say, however, that I'm less certain about this than I was in the fall.
With the unprecedented political events from the last few months, it seems like a 'nation-building' project might just have some increased appeal. If there's ever a window for HSR in Canada, could this be it?

This is an election issue now. Every candidate will have to provide their position on supporting/not supporting this project.
PP might not necessarily commit to HSR here, but he'll likely have to support some form of this project (even a slightly slower version).

 

[sixrings]

This is an election issue now. Every candidate will have to provide their position on supporting/not supporting this project.
PP might not necessarily commit to HSR here, but he'll likely have to support some form of this project (even a slightly slower version).

Have you driven on VIA. It’s a bunch of Louis Vuitton bags and iPhones.

PP voters are F150 drivers and convoy riders. They won’t care about this train. They care about the 401 tunnel. Let’s be real. It’s absolutely not an election issue for conservatives.

I ride this train frequently. And it’s not an election issue for me either. And I’m Liberal.

Think of it this way. The democrats poured so much time in energy into vote for us we are into human rights for everybody. But when you looked at the polling lgbt and reproductive rights iwere so far down why people voted. The number one reason. The economy. That’s how silly trump got in. Kept saying he was a business genius. A train might appeal to a very small segment of people but it will not dictate an election.

 

[crs1026]

This is an election issue now. Every candidate will have to provide their position on supporting/not supporting this project.
PP might not necessarily commit to HSR here, but he'll likely have to support some form of this project (even a slightly slower version).

Exactly.
Any party may well say, “we oppose this” - but now they pretty much have to explain what they would do instead. A position of “lets just keep building airports and highways” will not sit well with voters.
The full HSR is not out of the woods yet, but every party will have to take a position.
A HSR Light position may emerge.- but this is politics now, not transport planning. Once one party offers the voters nice things, being pragmatic and watching pennies just isn’t sexy.

- Paul

 

[sixrings]

Exactly.
Any party may well say, “we oppose this” - but now they pretty much have to explain what they would do instead. A position of “lets just keep building airports and highways” will not sit well with voters.
The full HSR is not out of the woods yet, but every party will have to take a position.
A HSR Light position may emerge.- but this is politics now, not transport planning. Once one party offers the voters nice things, being pragmatic and watching pennies just isn’t sexy.

- Paul

They will oppose it for not being financially prudent and that we can’t keep spending this way. That makes sense to me.

Btw I don’t think anyone in any province west of here will care if we cancel a multi billion dollar train project for Toronto. And as for Ontario let’s be honest we live in FORD nation. Ugh. I

 

[Mr.Tang]

Legitimate question for Canada right now - do you spend billions on this or billions on pipelines out to either coast to diversify our energy sales reliance on the US. One is the economy of right now (and dirty from a climate change perspective), but more tangible from a return on investment perspective. The other is a play on productivity, efficiency and human capital in a more dense network - but kind of nebulous in terms of actual economic returns (I mean planes already do this pretty well). Or you do neither, cut corporate taxes and let the market figure it out.

 

[crs1026]

They will oppose it for not being financially prudent and that we can’t keep spending this way. That makes sense to me.

Btw I don’t think anyone in any province west of here will care if we cancel a multi billion dollar train project for Toronto. And as for Ontario let’s be honest we live in FORD nation. Ugh. I

Count ridings and seats. The West may not care, but Western seats alone does not a majority make.

- Paul

 

[toraerach]

PP voters are F150 drivers and convoy riders. They won’t care about this train. They care about the 401 tunnel. Let’s be real. It’s absolutely not an election issue for conservatives.

The Conservatives have been pushing for a rail connection to Peterborough for ages, and there's quite a bit of support for the idea in the community from across the political spectrum. Although it's not the bellwether it used to be, it's still competitive and not a riding the Conservatives can afford to lose.

 

[treplow]

Montreal gets Laval but Ottawa doesn't get Fallowfield. Suburban Ottawa erasure!

Haha just kidding because the main Ottawa stop will be suburban anyway.

With the network being fully electrified that means Ottawa can build a tunnel under the Rideau Canal and repurpose their downtown Union Station for rail travel

 

[sixrings]

With the network being fully electrified that means Ottawa can build a tunnel under the Rideau Canal and repurpose their downtown Union Station for rail travel

My Sussex Drive relatives would love that but I’m sure that’s beyond not likely.

 

[treplow]

My Sussex Drive relatives would love that but I’m sure that’s beyond not likely.

Yeah not likely at all, plus it would be bad for through travel.