HOW HAS THE CANCELLATION OF THE NORTHLANDER TRAIN AFFECTED YOU?
Comment l’annulation du Northlander vous a impacté?
Name / Nom: Lisa Fenton
Comments / Commentaires: The Northlander Train is an extremely important means of travel in Ontario. Our family used it often in travelling to our summer place in Muskoka. What a beautiful way to avoid the horrific drive and traffic that is only getting worse. Our children took the train….and our aging parents. Both groups that aren’t able to drive.
Name / Nom: Francis Ritchie
Comments / Commentaires: This section of highway (11) has been a focal point for many years with the lack of winter maintenance and the number of fatalities . With the fatalities that occur on this highway the most recent was yesterday Dec 8, 2017. We the people of the Northeast have asked for this highway to become four lanes and the return of the Northlander Passenger Train due to the loss of life and the greater number of transports that travel this section of Hwy 11.
The Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy Draft 2041 (Goal 1, Section 1.7, Figure #4) is recommending that this highway to be used as a oversize and overweight route to help accommodate transports to their destination across Canada. With this recommendation will the Minister of Transportation consider making this highway four lanes to help accommodate the Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy recommendation.
We in the Northeast have had our Northlander Passenger train removed from this area and ONTC Bus Stations closed and Routes changed eliminating towns that were accomidated by the Northland. With the lack of additional modes of transportation to the Northeast many residents have to depend on vehicle transportation to get to Schools, Doctors, Hospitals and Family.
I am pleading with this government to take a better look at this area of Ontario and give use the some respect as you do for the South. I have been e-mailing and writing letters to this government for the last 2 years for the return of the Northlander Passenger Train but with no positive response and now their is another life that has been lost and this government is still not providing the service that we need.
Will the Government of Ontario, Minister of Transportation, and the Minister of Northern Development Mine and Forestry look at this area of Ontario as a prosperous and growing region that needs better modes of transportation (passenger train, four lane highway and better bus service).
Name / Nom: Mark Winter
Comments / Commentaires: I used to regularly take the train to Huntsville to go to a friends cottage on an island in Lake Vernon. I would scramble down the hill from the train station and he would pick me up by boat. Now unfortunately I have to take my car. The train ride was beautiful as it went through the woods and you could even see moose in ponds. I would love to start taking it again on a regular basis and avoid adding to the car pollution on the highway.
**ARCHIVED FROM ALL ABOARD NORTHERN ONTARIO**
Northern Tracks Blog 
I find it shameful that ANYONE could so easily isolate our whole Northern community from the rest of the province by removing a rail service that was already fully operational and in use.
Wake up people! We have so much potential in the northern community. .our college and university would attract more students if rail transport were available to them.
There is talk about a new casino. How many people would come from away if a train were available?
With the rising population of seniors, rail service would make specialised medical care in Toronto easier to access.
Finally, from the views of someone who travels the horrible stretch of road from Barrie and onward to the north, how many more people have to die before someone realises we need to give people a safer way to get through these areas.
With more and more product being moved to a growing community by truck, wouldn’t be a no brainer that rail transport would be a safer, cleaner way to get these goods delivered?
Yes, a bigger, safer highway is needed, but, we need something NOW. Imagine the accidents that will happen during the years of construction if a new highway does come. Drivers fly past at 20km over in construction sites as it is..imagine the nightmare yet to come. We’ll need an alternative way to get past the mess.
I say re-open what is already there. Hire people to repair and make safe what we already have in place..a safer way to allow non drivers, students, seniors, tourists and business people reach their destination.
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