It might not be her usual task but we understand that the wunderkind and finance minister of Canada’s cabinet is busy planning for federal government investment to help our country to recover from the pandemic. This is despite many of us wanting all-hands-on deck, to get us through the pandemic first. There is no doubt though that if someone has to do the economic planning job, Freeland is an excellent choice.
The one thing I know about Ms. Freeland is that in her occupation as a journalist, she has travelled extensively around the world. I would expect that in Europe as well as Asia, she would have had many opportunities to witness and to travel by high-speed electric trains. There are already more than 50,000 kilometres of high-speed rail service interlacing Europe and more is planned or already under construction.
And she likely learned in school that Canada became a nation from sea to sea because of trains. Despite extensive studies in corridors such as Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto, there has never been a political leader in Canada since Sir John A. Macdonald to have the foresight and drive to recognize that our rail technology needs to keep pace with our growing country.
It is as simple as being able to say that people take precedence over freight, technology can defeat ice and snow and that road transport and airplanes pollute. Not only are airplanes serious polluters but their speed in the air would only be a winner if they could always land in the middle of our cities.
Ontario is already in the process of electrifying and creating the grade separations for faster, more efficient commuter train service throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The government-owned system will soon be able to offer fast, 24-hour, seven-day service.
It should be a federal responsibility to facilitate high-speed electric train service on the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor. It should be the start on a nation-wide high-speed service.
-30-
Copyright 2021 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be temporarily sent to [email protected]