Perceptions can be deceiving, when Northeastern Ontario residents have three more years until the Northlander passenger train returns, yet politicians seem to be riding it already.
Despite municipal politicians billing it as the Northlander, Ontario Northland Transportation Commission chairman Al Spacek says the train they rode to North Bay last week for a convention is actually rolling stock from the Polar Bear Express.
“Ontario Northland does have charter services available for bus, freight and rail passenger and that was just one of those instances,” he explains.“The whole idea was municipal politicians wanted to continue to support the reintroduction of passenger rail to Northeastern Ontario.”
Spacek says the politicians paid for the charter, the same way they would have paid for a bus.
A few weeks earlier, PC leader Doug Ford, in his capacity as premier, rode the same train to Timmins.