2025 MOW Spending Report: Passenger-rail programs
Gardner steps down as Amtrak CEO
Guest comment: Oliver Wyman’s David Hunt
Women of Influence in Rail eBook
Newsletter Sign Up
Stay updated on news, articles and information for the rail industry
Stay updated on news, articles and information for the rail industry
railPrime
RAIL EMPLOYMENT & NOTICES
Rail News Home
Short Lines & Regionals
Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
10/22/2012
Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
Ontario Northland employees part of plan to acquire company's assets
advertisement
On Friday, the General Chairperson's Association (GCA), which represents unionized employees at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), announced a plan aimed at revitalizing the transportation company.
The proposal calls for transferring ownership of the railroad and other ONTC assets to a new port authority to be operated under the Canada Marine Act. The first step in this process was recently completed with the creation of the James Bay & Lowlands Ports Trustee Corp., GCA officials said in a prepared statement.
In addition, a "Ring of Fire" rail line would be designed and built in the mining region to move thousands of tons per day of chromite, nickel and other minerals and finished products to markets around the world, they said. ONTC employees would leverage their position as a significant creditor toward the revitalization plan.
"Not only will we save transportation services and hundreds of existing jobs in the North, but our plan will also create thousands more jobs by providing access to the Ring of Fire," said GCA representative Brian Stevens. "The employees have significant investments in pensions, benefits and their various collective agreements, [and] we will leverage those investments with the provincial government as the [plan] moves forward."
The plan was developed in response to the Ontario government's decision in March to divest the ONTC. Northlander passenger-rail service was suspended in September.
The ONTC — which employs more than 950 people in the region — has played a significant role in transportation and economic development in northeastern Ontario for more than a century, GCA officials said.
The proposal calls for transferring ownership of the railroad and other ONTC assets to a new port authority to be operated under the Canada Marine Act. The first step in this process was recently completed with the creation of the James Bay & Lowlands Ports Trustee Corp., GCA officials said in a prepared statement.
In addition, a "Ring of Fire" rail line would be designed and built in the mining region to move thousands of tons per day of chromite, nickel and other minerals and finished products to markets around the world, they said. ONTC employees would leverage their position as a significant creditor toward the revitalization plan.
"Not only will we save transportation services and hundreds of existing jobs in the North, but our plan will also create thousands more jobs by providing access to the Ring of Fire," said GCA representative Brian Stevens. "The employees have significant investments in pensions, benefits and their various collective agreements, [and] we will leverage those investments with the provincial government as the [plan] moves forward."
The plan was developed in response to the Ontario government's decision in March to divest the ONTC. Northlander passenger-rail service was suspended in September.
The ONTC — which employs more than 950 people in the region — has played a significant role in transportation and economic development in northeastern Ontario for more than a century, GCA officials said.
