Submitted to NAL by the office of Niagara Regional Chair Gary Burroughs
Niagara Region , January 28, 2014 – Niagara’s 12 mayors and Regional Chair are united in their call for the provincial government to expand daily commuter GO train service to the Niagara Peninsula.
Recent Statistics Canada figures show the Niagara area’s 8.8% unemployment rate is the highest in the country and it will require bold, transformational decisions to ensure a solid foundation is in place for the growth and renewal of Niagara’s evolving economy. Niagara Regional Council unanimously passed a motion in June 2011 supporting the expansion of a daily GO commuter rail line to Niagara Falls, with stops in Grimsby and St. Catharines.
“There is a reason communities like Waterloo, Peterborough and Barrie aggressively pursued GO rail to their communities, and that is because accessible and reliable public transit is a catalyst for economic growth,” said Regional Chair Gary Burroughs. “This is an issue that is important to Niagara’s municipalities and its 430,000 residents, and has brought together the Region’s 12 mayors to speak with one voice and ask Queen’s Park to expand a daily commuter GO train service to Niagara Falls with stops in Grimsby and St. Catharines by the summer of 2015.”
Niagara, Ontario’s Regional Chair Gary Burroughs
An environmental assessment for expanded GO train service into Niagara was completed in July 2011 by Metrolinx, but there has been little provincial activity on that front since. A further study conducted by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and GO Transit found that proactive scheduling and strong communications can limit any conflicts between trains and ships at the Welland Canal to “almost zero,” negating the need to build an expensive bridge or tunnel crossing.
Metrolinx and the province are in the process of implementing The Big Move, a $50-billion plan for expanded public transit throughout the Greater Toronto Area. However, it’s frustrating for Niagara’s mayors that the public transit expansion conversation ends at Hamilton.
“Anybody who has travelled the QEW knows traffic congestion doesn’t end at the Burlington Skyway,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati. “What’s more, Niagara is a vital link to the United States, where an exciting high-speed rail project is currently under construction that will link the Niagara Frontier with New York City. Expanding GO trains to Niagara Falls will create another vital linkage with our partners across the border.”
Niagara At Large is also posting this related media release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Greater Niagara Chamber Urges Province to Make Daily GO Train Service to Niagara a Priority
Niagara, Ontario, January 29, 2014 – a means of bringing daily commuter rail transportation service to the Niagara region, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce has announced its support of a strategy to bring GO Transit commuter rail service to Niagara. In consultation with businesses across the region, the Chamber has identified GO Train daily commuter services as a top priority to improve Niagara’s economic position. On behalf of Niagara’s business community, the Chamber is urging the province to make GO Train expansion into Niagara a priority.
“Niagara’s business community understands the link between modern, regional transportation infrastructure and economic competitiveness,” explains Walter Sendzik, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. “Bringing GO commuter train service to Niagara would be a powerful economic driver that would produce a wide range of related economic benefits for the entire region.”
Connecting Niagara to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is a central component to building a robust regional economy, attracting a highly-skilled workforce and closing the productivity gap in Niagara. The Ministry of Finance has also acknowledged the importance of high-quality public transportation in the creation of a strong and prosperous provincial economy. Building Modern Infrastructure was included in the Ministry’s three-part plan to create jobs and economic growth released this past fall, along with a pledge to invest over $35 billion in infrastructure over the next three years and explore new revenue tools for the funding of public-transit expansions.
“Realizing that there are significant costs associated with a full expansion of GO Train through Niagara, we are asking Metrolinx to commit to a multi-year plan that brings GO Train commuter service immediately to West Niagara, and expands through to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls within a fixed period of time,” continues Sendzik. “We want to see a concrete multi-year plan, investments from the province and consideration of additional revenue tools to achieve the plan within the shortest timeframe. We are falling behind other communities that have access to daily commuter service outside of the GTA, and it’s Niagara’s time to get fully linked up with the GO Transit system.”
The Greater Niagara Chamber joins the 12 municipal mayors and Chair of the Region in urging the province make daily commuter GO Transit rail service to Niagara a priority.
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the champion for the Niagara business community. With over 1,500 members representing more than 36,000 employees, it is the largest business organization in Niagara and one of the largest chambers in Ontario.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
Did the Regional Councillors from Port, Welland, Pelham, Wainfleet and Fort Erie ask to have the GO Train travel through WELLAND to Niagara Falls?
Wouldn’t that have been a nice way for Niagara Region to help its poor South Niagara family grow & reduce development pressure on the fruit belt?
Why exactly does St. Kitts need a GO Train when they have a GO Bus?
(It IS to hear nice that the Seaway will to co-operate with GO to facilitate commuting.)
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It is unfortunate that the present politicians do not have the same foresight as they did a century ago. The original Toronto Hamilton Buffalo line went through the middle of the Peninsula with feeders to the main line. At the present time some work may be required to repair/upgrade the tracks.
Present decision makers continue to put more pressure on an overcrowded corridor at the expense of valuable farm land.
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Expanding Go service (especially rail) is an excellent priority, and it creates good jobs as well.
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While I agree it would be nice if GO train services replaced bus services from Hamilton to Niagara, I have the following comments:
1) Historically, all GO has done for communities on its route is increase the cost of housing in those communities. Ask yourself this, would Burlington be as pricey as it is if it weren’t for GO. Well what do you think is going to happen to Grimsby, Beamsville and Vineland as people flock FROM Toronto with their material real estate wealth and buy up local properties in an attempt to escape Toronto and all that it is. Our home prices go up, our assessment values go up, our taxes go up. It’s that simple! And all our local politicians will love the extra revenue because we all know they love to spend our money and the more the better regardless of return on value. So you heard it here first! Of course this is a good thing if you are intent on selling your home in these communities and moving elsewhere. So there is that plus.
2) What does having a GO train got to do with economic development with the exception of housing and the economics attached to construction of infrastructure. Does our region think that companies will flock here because we have a commuter service to Toronto. No because no one is going to commute from Toronto to St. Catharines to work. Atleast anyone with half a brain. So where exactly do they get the basis for these assertions and assumptions.
3) Has anyone seen what has become of quaint communities like Keswick and Barrie since GO started serving them. Gotta love those townhouse developments that go on for miles. Look at Grimsby and the crazy development that has gone on their that has eroded our town character because of spineless politicians and greedy builders.
Yes the GO train will alleviate some (not all) of the tourist and commuter congestion off of the highways, but it is not the panacea our politicians would have us believe.
Corporate investment decisions (NOT SMALL BUSINESS) in a region are not based on local/regional transportation! They are based on available resources, lower resource costs, lower taxes, lower operating costs, STABILITY (which is something we don’t have due to the LIBERALS in the entire province) and access to a market for goods and services! It’s that simple. The decision by Blackberry, Manulife …. to establish themselves in Waterloo had NOTHING to do with inter-regional transportation. ASK THE CXX’s. It had everything to do with the reasons I cited.
Personally, I don’t think this is what Stats Canada had in mind with respect to BOLD, INNOVATIVE thinking. It’s going to take more than a train that encourages people to commute from Niagara to Toronto to build a robust economy in this region. Put it this way…. this project and its multi BILLION dollar price tag should not start until these politicians put in place some means of determining through what we call Key Performance Indicators how successful the outcome of this project is. Until they do that all of what they say is pure conjecture!
I think this will be good for the big home builders, and the engineering/construction companies which will likely be from Toronto/Hamilton. Yeah some small businesses will benefit.
I think this will be good for people who want to sell their home in places like Grimsby and then move because prices will continue to outpace the rest of the region.
Will it be good for the rest of us that don’t use this service or don’t want to move or enjoy the small town feeling these communities provide? Well ask anyone in Grimsby before it became a commuter town. I don’t think so.
Just sayin……
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The advantage of the train is twofold. First, it would reduce the need to expand the QEW at the expense of agricultural land (if there is still any left). Second, taking the bus is the same as taking the car _ a traffic jam causes delays. I agree With Jane re. cost of housing along the QEW but it already exists with or without the train.
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We’ve been promised a GO train since the 60’s. What’s different this time?
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This is a no brainer,! trouble is our politicians leave their brains home as soon as they get elected, The GO should go via Welland, and provide a means for Welland’ers a way to get to the Falls. also a way for students to get to Niagara College. from here. Let’s get something going here!!!
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Hear, hear, George!
Now let’s phone our Regional Councillors (Mayors are also Regional Councillors) and ask them to get GO trains through Welland.
And let’s report our results here.
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It may mean some upgrading but the old Toronto-Hamilton-Buffalo Line through Welland is the way to go. Look at the old maps _ the mid Peninsula line met everybody’s needs. It is unfortunate our present day politicians are so narrow minded.
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