Mayoral candidate Gary Gardiner said this morning that he wants to see a plan that "thinks in terms of planes, trains, and trucking together" as a system to move goods to enhance future growth.
"While much has been said about our amazing 10,000-foot runway and serviced airport industrial land we tend to forget about the gateway concept," Gardiner said in a news release. "We are more than an airport and need to consider an integrated, multi-modal, approach to transportation. We are located on the intersection of the TransCanada Highway 17 and the main North/South link from the GTA to all of Northern Ontario."
Gardiner calls North Bay "an inter-connecting link for both east-west and north-south traffic" and suggests integrating all three methods.
"The ability to on-load or off-load product from one transportation mode and efficiently transfer it on to another for worldwide distribution provides endless opportunity. How might we do that?"
He points to North Bay's history as a home for several railroads.
"The Crown Jewel in our transportation strategy should continue to be the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. Many generations of North Bayites have worked for the ONR and it is still one of the largest employers in our city. If elected, I will work closely with the incredible team of Managers and staff at the ONR and our MPP and MP to promote growth with respect to the ONR’s core business units, freight, bus and rail passenger service, and refurbishment."
Gardiner also promises to push for progress with the Ring of Fire.
"Our current MPP is a strong advocate for the Ring of Fire development and has supported the re-establishment of passenger rail service, both of which will greatly benefit the ONR. The ONTC has a proven track record of providing world-class refurbished coaches. As a Crown Corporation, there is no reason that the ONR does not receive favoured status with other Ontario government bodies such as Metrolink when it comes to growing its refurbishment business. I will work with our partners to aggressively enhance this line of work.
"We need to continue to promote North Bay as a strategic location for businesses that provide or use materials and services connected to the ONTC and mining," he concludes.
