An attempt by the NDP to get a commitment from the new government on when the Tories will bring back the Northlander has failed.
Rookie MPP Guy Bourgouin, who represents the new riding of Mushkegowuk-James Bay, said the north is slowly losing its transportation modes.
“First the train to Cochrane was cut, next came cuts to Greyhound,” Bourgouin said during Question Period.
The New Democrat said as a result of the cuts it’s now a 26 hour trip for people taking the bus from Barrie to Cochrane.
“Will this government commit today to restore the Ontario Northlander,” asked Bourgouin.
But in response, Transportation Minister John Yakabuski told the new MPP it was his party that supported the Liberals over the cancellation of the Northlander.
Yakabuski told Bourgouin that he recognized that as a new MPP he didn’t know the past history between the Liberals, the NDP and the Northlander.
“We are committed to better transportation for the province,” said Yakabuski.
However the Tory minister added the changes wouldn’t happen overnight because there was a lot of damage to undo that was caused by the previous government.
Yakabuski also said that transportation in remote areas remains challenging and it’s an issue the government takes very seriously and remains a matter the government remains committed to improving.
