The incessant drumbeat of GO-train optimism
In June 2016, a major Niagara concern was finally put to bed.
Alas, its resolution left the local gung-ho crowd in a bit of quandary.
Once again, we’re talking GO trains.
As you know, the province announced early last summer that daily GO train service would be coming to Niagara, starting with Grimsby in 2021, followed by St. Catharines and Niagara Falls a year or two later. It was a joyous day, indeed. Yet, bewilderment among local politicians ensued shortly thereafter.
They had milked the GO cow for years, feeding off the good vibes their efforts at allegedly helping bring the service here had created.
But with a five-year gap between the announcement and arrival, how could fretful local yokels keep fanning the GO flames in a way that could potentially ingratiate themselves to the voting populace?
Well, there remains much infrastructure work to be done, primarily relating to track upgrades and station improvements.
Those tasks are in the bureaucratic realm, though.
So to keep the political fires burning, boosters are left with two main ploys.
First, they make sure to mention the pending arrival of the train service as a key factor in any economic development.
Rising real estate prices? Gotta be GO -related. Proposed new lowrise apartment building on Louth Street? Hey, it’s only a kilometre from the St. Catharines train station. More medical specialists attracted to Niagara? Why not, the GTA will only be a train ride away. A bigger entertainment facility for the Fallsview casino? The GO train will help bring in the crowds.
But the loudest, most persistent, cheerleading drumbeat comes from politicians and boosters talking up the prospect of GO trains arriving in Niagara prior to 2021.
It didn’t take long for this desire to be expressed. Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati made his thoughts known minutes after the GO announcement last June.
“It is my expectation and hope we’ll do all we can do to move that date forward to have GO service sooner than later,” said Diodati.
The dream shows no signs of dying.
Prior to the unveiling of the Ontario budget last month, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates said he was hoping the document would mention an improved timeline for GO train service here.
This week at St. Catharines city council, a couple of Niagara Region officials gave an update on trainstation planning, providing Coun. Sal Sorrento the opportunity to ask if there was a possibility daily train service could arrive in Niagara sooner than proposed.
And a couple of days ago Regional Chairman Al Caslin told Niagara’s public works committee that Metrolinx officials were recently asked about the possibility of moving the arrival date forward in time for the 2021 Canada Summer Games. The officials didn’t commit to anything, said Caslin, but they did make note of the Games date.
“I fully expect that with some continued effort on our part in moving this forward in an expedited manner, we could see the train all the way to Niagara Falls by 2021,” he said. Sounds encouraging. Mind you, Caslin’s the same guy who, when the Region submitted a GO business plan to the province last year, said he was hopeful daily train service to Niagara could begin in 2017.
Thus, you might want to take his optimism with several grains of salt. Make that a truckload.
And if you were a Metrolinx official, you might get a chuckle out of the Region proposing a Summer Games deadline for the province, considering the Region had initially set itself a 2015 Pan Am Games deadline for the completion of the Burgoyne Bridge project.
The Pan Am deadline (for the rowing crowd in Port Dalhousie) was always silly and unnecessary, not to mention fantasy-based.
The Summer Games one isn’t much better.
The Games are a tremendous get for Niagara for a variety of reasons. And there will be thousands of officials and athletes coming here. The events will likely attract considerable interest from Niagara residents. But other than family and friends of participants, there won’t likely be a great influx of visitors from outside the Region. Plus, it’s only a two-week affair.
Why, then, would Metrolinx be persuaded to tweak its timetable? Answer: It wouldn’t. But don’t count on this drumbeat quieting. Elections are looming.