Chief William Commanda Bridge (Prince of Wales Bridge) | Closed for Winter

[PHrenetic]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Ah, I think I understand what you were referencing earlier.
Ontario Northland owns a subsidiary which has a certificate and that subsidiary runs into Quebec. So, even though Ontario Northland has a line that runs into Quebec, they don't need the certificate since their subsidiary does instead.

Good Day.

Ahh.... good memory jog - I do believe that was it. Thx.

I think we have it.

EnJoy!

[OCCheetos]

A work crew was on the bridge today. (edit: and possibly yesterday too according to a friend)

https://twitter.com/RailsOfOttawa/st...42415913414656

[zzptichka]

Probably installing bigger electrified fence with spikes.

[OCCheetos]

Most likely related to this.
https://www.merx4.merx.com/public/so...04073/abstract

[Allandale25]

^ very interesting. Can someone remind me how this relates to the situation with the CTA?

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by Allandale25

^ very interesting. Can someone remind me how this relates to the situation with the CTA?

They'll most likely try to use it to prove in court that repairs would be prohibitively expensive and not possible at the moment, or, should the courts rule against them, they can use the design plan to carry out the necessary repairs to meet the CTA's order.

[Allandale25]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

They'll most likely try to use it to prove in court that repairs would be prohibitively expensive and not possible at the moment, or, should the courts rule against them, they can use the design plan to carry out the necessary repairs to meet the CTA's order.

Thanks

[rocketphish]

Moose Consortium requested railway protection after council OK'd 65-storey project

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 7, 2018

Even as the City of Ottawa waits for its day in court, the organization that has prompted the city to hire outside lawyers to defend plans for the Prince of Wales Bridge has been trying to get federal authorities to protect potential rail corridors around Bayview station.

The city is appealing an order by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), which has told the city to discontinue the rail line in the area or fix the bridge so it could be used by another rail operator 12 months after being notified by the agency.

The Confederation Line LRT project and Trillium Line upgrade meant the city had to build a new Bayview station, blocking the rail line to the bridge. The Moose Consortium complained to the CTA in 2016 and the agency made the order in February 2018.

The file at the Federal Court of Appeal includes correspondence from Moose letting the court know about a letter the organization sent this summer to Transport Canada. According to Moose, city decisions are pre-empting a decision by the court on the future of the rail line around Bayview station.

Moose’s seven-page letter to Transport Canada, dated July 30, suggests there are four ways to re-establish a rail line to the bridge, with two options having the tracks curve around Bayview station or through a tunnel under Albert Street and the LRT line.

City council’s decision in July to allow the property at 900 Albert St. to be rezoned for a 65-storey tower irks Moose since development on the old rail yard land could stymie an option to curve the tracks around the east side of Bayview station. The rezoning application was “hastily approved,” Moose says in the letter.

Moose wants Transport Canada to “conserve for railway operations all realistic options for physically connecting” the rail lines on the Ottawa and Gatineau sides via the bridge.

Moose hasn’t applied to be an intervener in the court case.

The city’s appeal book filed in court Wednesday contains evidence supporting its argument that it plans one day to use the rail corridor between Bayview station and Gatineau even though the rail line north of the station is disabled and the bridge is in disrepair.

There is no money earmarked to rehabilitate the old, fenced-off rail bridge.

According to an agreement of purchase in the court file, the city bought the rail line, including the bridge, from Canadian Pacific Railway for $11 million in 2005. The city has intended to connect the north-south rail line to Gatineau’s transit system, but fixing the bridge would cost tens of millions of dollars.

It appears the city will try to convince the court it has always been working toward the goal of establishing an interprovincial rail line.

When pressured by the CTA to say how long it would take to restore the bridge for trains, the city provided an estimate of three years in a letter to the agency dated Sept. 8, 2017.

The court has not yet set a hearing date.

Moose’s vision is to establish a privately financed regional rail system with terminuses in Smiths Falls, Arnprior and Alexandria in Ontario, and Bristol, Wakefield and Montebello in Quebec. The plan hinges on using the Prince of Wales Bridge for the Ontario-Quebec link.

This week, mayoral candidate Clive Doucet announced his transit platform that proposes using the Prince of Wales Bridge as part of a regional rail service, similar to what Moose has been pursuing. Doucet’s plan doesn’t have a cost estimate.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...storey-project

[OCCheetos]

This document: https://www.letsgomoose.ca/wp-conten...8-07-30PDF.pdf

has a diagram showing the various potential re-connection routes.

The eastern option that the article is talking about seems like a terrible idea for so many reasons.

1. Now they're messing with the Trinity Centre project
2. I'm pretty sure that's far more disruptive to MUPs in the area than the western option
3. It's a hell of a curve (which makes it difficult/impossible to build a proper station for MOOSE)
4. It's probably much more expensive because of MUP relocations, longer tracks, etc.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Moose Consortium requested railway protection after council OK'd 65-storey project

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 7, 2018

Even as the City of Ottawa waits for its day in court, the organization that has prompted the city to hire outside lawyers to defend plans for the Prince of Wales Bridge has been trying to get federal authorities to protect potential rail corridors around Bayview station.

The city is appealing an order by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), which has told the city to discontinue the rail line in the area or fix the bridge so it could be used by another rail operator 12 months after being notified by the agency.

The Confederation Line LRT project and Trillium Line upgrade meant the city had to build a new Bayview station, blocking the rail line to the bridge. The Moose Consortium complained to the CTA in 2016 and the agency made the order in February 2018.

The file at the Federal Court of Appeal includes correspondence from Moose letting the court know about a letter the organization sent this summer to Transport Canada. According to Moose, city decisions are pre-empting a decision by the court on the future of the rail line around Bayview station.

Moose’s seven-page letter to Transport Canada, dated July 30, suggests there are four ways to re-establish a rail line to the bridge, with two options having the tracks curve around Bayview station or through a tunnel under Albert Street and the LRT line.

City council’s decision in July to allow the property at 900 Albert St. to be rezoned for a 65-storey tower irks Moose since development on the old rail yard land could stymie an option to curve the tracks around the east side of Bayview station. The rezoning application was “hastily approved,” Moose says in the letter.

Moose wants Transport Canada to “conserve for railway operations all realistic options for physically connecting” the rail lines on the Ottawa and Gatineau sides via the bridge.

Moose hasn’t applied to be an intervener in the court case.

The city’s appeal book filed in court Wednesday contains evidence supporting its argument that it plans one day to use the rail corridor between Bayview station and Gatineau even though the rail line north of the station is disabled and the bridge is in disrepair.

There is no money earmarked to rehabilitate the old, fenced-off rail bridge.

According to an agreement of purchase in the court file, the city bought the rail line, including the bridge, from Canadian Pacific Railway for $11 million in 2005. The city has intended to connect the north-south rail line to Gatineau’s transit system, but fixing the bridge would cost tens of millions of dollars.

It appears the city will try to convince the court it has always been working toward the goal of establishing an interprovincial rail line.

When pressured by the CTA to say how long it would take to restore the bridge for trains, the city provided an estimate of three years in a letter to the agency dated Sept. 8, 2017.

The court has not yet set a hearing date.

Moose’s vision is to establish a privately financed regional rail system with terminuses in Smiths Falls, Arnprior and Alexandria in Ontario, and Bristol, Wakefield and Montebello in Quebec. The plan hinges on using the Prince of Wales Bridge for the Ontario-Quebec link.

This week, mayoral candidate Clive Doucet announced his transit platform that proposes using the Prince of Wales Bridge as part of a regional rail service, similar to what Moose has been pursuing. Doucet’s plan doesn’t have a cost estimate.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...storey-project

I know the Moose guys posts here so I don't mean to be rude but I don't understand why this article is even published if they can't even afford to be an intervener in the court case. Basically the guy can write a 7 page letter from his living room and potentially cost the city millions of dollars. Based on an extremely unrealistic if somewhat interesting business model that might work in Los Angeles or somewhere else with extremely expensive real estate and congestion, but in Ottawa?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I know the Moose guys posts here so I don't mean to be rude but I don't understand why this article is even published if they can't even afford to be an intervener in the court case. Basically the guy can write a 7 page letter from his living room and potentially cost the city millions of dollars. Based on an extremely unrealistic if somewhat interesting business model that might work in Los Angeles or somewhere else with extremely expensive real estate and congestion, but in Ottawa?

He's been quite good at getting media coverage. But in the 7 years or so he has been pushing this "business" they have yet to come up with funds for a feasibility study. Just complaint after complaint to regulators.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by acottawa

He's been quite good at getting media coverage. But in the 7 years or so he has been pushing this "business" they have yet to come up with funds for a feasibility study. Just complaint after complaint to regulators.

Even if Potvin's idea was valid, why would anybody bother with his garageband consultancy?

If anybody was actually interested in this they'd form a consortium of developers, with a rail partner and pitch Queen's Park and the city directly. People with actual money can hire actual accountants, engineers and lawyers. They don't need Joseph Potvin.

[Urbanarchit]

I have suspicions that MOOSE and Doucet are in cahoots considering the similarities behind their transit projects and taking issues with the Trinity Development/ wanting to stop it.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

I have suspicions that MOOSE and Doucet are in cahoots considering the similarities behind their transit projects and taking issues with the Trinity Development/ wanting to stop it.

Maybe, but I tend to think there is an allignment of interests. Doucet has long wanted a city centre of detached houses for rich people. One way to do that is to encourage not-rich people to move to rural areas.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Maybe, but I tend to think there is an allignment of interests. Doucet has long wanted a city centre of detached houses for rich people. One way to do that is to encourage not-rich people to move to rural areas.

Sure. But why is an Ottawa mayoral candidate worried about transit to Chelsea and Smith's Falls. We know who put that idea in his head. I hope west end voters realize what is at stake with Doucet.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Sure. But why is an Ottawa mayoral candidate worried about transit to Chelsea and Smith's Falls. We know who put that idea in his head. I hope west end voters realize what is at stake with Doucet.

I agree he probably stole Potvin's idea, but I think because he wants people to live in Chelsea and Smiths Falls instead of Ottawa. He has spent his whole career fighting intensification in central Ottawa. I am not trying to suggest I agree with that or it is a valid idea.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I agree he probably stole Potvin's idea, but I think because he wants people to live in Chelsea and Smiths Falls instead of Ottawa. He has spent his whole career fighting intensification in central Ottawa. I am not trying to suggest I agree with that or it is a valid idea.

Interesting. Never knew that about Doucet. I had only been in Ottawa a few years in 2010 when he ran for the mayoralty And considered voting for him. I'm glad I didn't.

I'll have to donate to Watson to stop this douche.

[CityTech]

Watson's landslide victory is more or less a given, I wouldn't worry about that.

[Ottawaresident]

Could be used as rail link, in the meantime should have barriers installed and the bridge used for trails.

[White Pine]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

Could be used as rail link, in the meantime should have barriers installed and the bridge used for trails.

I would think twice about that. I wouldn't want to make a Byron-like situation where they "temporarily" get a park/whatever, and when the transit finally comes, launch a campaign to "save our park". Better to keep it ugly and useless IMO.