Chair says MPP should have done GO ‘homework’

Potts retracts comment about daily train service to Niagara not being high on province priority list

Niagara Region’s chair has become a firefighter, metaphorically speaking.

Alan Caslin had to douse two political fires in recent days, both regarding public transportation.

The first was started by Arthur Potts, MPP for Beaches-East York and the parliamentary assistant to Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, who during an address at the Ontario Wine Awards in Niagara-on-theLake Friday declared daily GO train expansion to Niagara Falls was not high on the government’s priority list.

“He was at the microphone … he was there representing the ministry and the premier — and he said he was there for that reason,” Caslin said Wednesday.

“(Niagara-on-the-Lake) Lord Mayor Pat Darte had just finished speaking about what they were doing in Niagara-on-the-Lake and that they were looking forward to the announcement that GO train was coming to Niagara Falls, as a promotional opportunity for Niagara-on-the-Lake wine tours — promoting the whole industry.

“Arthur was the next one to speak and he said, ‘I know what the mayor just said, but frankly GO transit to Niagara is not high on our priorities at this time.’” Caslin said his jaw dropped. He said he approached Potts after the speech to introduce himself and ask Potts to reaffirm what he had just said regarding GO, which Caslin said Potts did.

“Quite frankly, the problem is that Arthur Potts is not in tune with the state of the situation and probably didn’t even know we had prepared and submitted a business case to (Transportation Minister Steven) Del Duca,” Caslin said.

A group from Niagara, including Caslin, recently met with Del Duca to present the Region’s business case for extending daily GO rail service to Niagara Falls.

In a news release following that meeting April 28, Del Duca said officials would give the business case a thorough going-over.

Potts retracted his comment in an e-mail sent to the chair’s office Monday with the expectation it would be shared with the media.

“My comments on Friday did not accurately reflect the government’s position on GO Transit expansion to Niagara,” Potts wrote.

“In April, Transportation Minister Del Duca welcomed Niagara Region’s business case on GO Transit expansion, and since that meeting with elected officials, the Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx have been examining the details within the

report closely. Our government is committed to continued discussions with the Region regarding their business case, and my comments Friday should have better reflected that ongoing dialogue and our government’s focus on building Ontario up.”

Caslin said he’s satisfied with the mea culpa.

“Arthur simply spoke out of turn, and should have probably done his homework before saying that,” Caslin said.

The regional chair also touched on a subject Wednesday for which he and council have taken heat.

He said contrary to the belief of some, a political decision to apply the brakes on a vote that would allow Niagara Region a place at the planning table does not mean an end to an inter-municipal transit system.

“There’s a notion out there that the Region is cancelling regional transit, which is not at all what happened at the committee of the whole,” Caslin said.

“We’re simply l ooking at options. The project we are talking about is a pilot project, that by its very nature means looking at what we need to do to find a permanent solution. In this case, we’re working with all our partners, both private and public, in finding out what we can do to get the best value for our dollar, for the best service for our residents.”

The Region’s committee of the whole Thursday was presented by staff with a mapped out strategy leading to the triple-majority vote that if successful would allow the Region to have a role in intermunicipal transit beyond September, when a pilot project is set to end.

A motion tabled by regional Coun. David Barrick put that triple-majority strategy on hold in favour of asking the municipalities of Welland, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls and their transit commissions to work together on a new model of serving other municipalities.

Caslin said that move — which must still be ratified by council at its next meeting — does not signal an end to a regional transit system.

“There are a number of agencies in the region right now that are getting excited because of the notion that is being put out there, disingenuously, that we’re cancelling regional transit,” Caslin said.

“I need to reassure riders the buses will not stop in September … we do plan on continuing the program for a timeframe that is yet to be determined. Any discussion about (regional buses) being stopped is disingenuous and not factual.”

There’s a notion out there that the Region is cancelling regional transit, which is not at all what happened at

the committee of the whole,”