Printed from the Niagara this Week
It seems like it was only yesterday
Niagara Falls Year in Review
Robert Lapensee
Published on Dec 29, 2006
NIAGARA FALLS — Looking back over the last 10 years, Niagara Falls has enjoyed a surge in development, with hundreds of millions of dollars in hotels and other attraction opening their doors in the city since Casino Niagara opened its in 1996.
The year which was 2006 was no different with attractions like Great Wolf Lodge, a massive Ferris wheel on Clifton Hill and world-class shows and acts hitting stages across the city, building much excitement for the future of Niagara Falls as a tourist destination.
The city’s glorious falls continues to be the major draw but the varied assortment of attractions are what is keeping people in the city for another night and coming back for more.
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Released on CNW.ca
Attention News Editors:
Governments and GO Transit to make significant investments to improve the GO Transit Lakeshore West Rail Corridor
BURLINGTON, ON, Dec. 20 /CNW Telbec/ – Canada’s New Government, the
Province of Ontario and GO Transit today announced the restoration of Sunfish
Pond, the addition of a third mainline track between Burlington and Bayview
Junction, and improvements to GO Transit’s Aldershot and Burlington stations
in the Lakeshore West rail corridor.
Construction on this portion of the Lakeshore West rail corridor is
valued at $72 million, with $3.1 million allotted for construction at the GO
Aldershot Station, $5.5 million for Sunfish Pond and $4 million for the GO
Burlington Station. Construction on this portion of the Lakeshore West rail
corridor began in June 2005 and is anticipated to be complete by September
2007. GO will eventually add more trains to better serve riders, including all
day service to Aldershot.
“These projects demonstrate the commitment made by Canada’s New
Government to work for Canadian families and communities,” said Mike Wallace,
MP for Burlington, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “We are working hard to make
environmentally sound transportation alternatives such as commuter rail more
accessible for all Canadians. This helps to ease traffic congestion as well as
reduce smog and greenhouse gases.”
“Since 1995, GO Transit’s ridership has grown by more than 50 per cent
and it now carries 48 million riders each year,” said Ontario Transportation
Minister Donna Cansfield. “Our government is investing $24 million in this
portion of the Lakeshore West project to improve travel times and
accessibility, as well as reduce congestion on our roads.”
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Work being carried out includes:
- the addition of a third track from just west of Burlington GO Station
to Bayview Junction, near the Royal Botanical Gardens;
- the construction of a retaining wall adjacent to Sunfish Pond to ensure
that there are minimal impacts to the pond and/or the existing
shoreline;
- the replanting of native vegetation in areas around Sunfish Pond that
were cleared as part of track construction;
- the construction of two pedestrian tunnels and new elevators that will
be accessible to persons with disabilities at Aldershot and Burlington
stations; and
- the widening of the south platform at Burlington Station to accommodate
the new track, and extending the other platforms at Burlington and
Aldershot stations to accommodate GO's 12-car trains.
"This work is just one part of a major expansion across our network that
will greatly improve service and reliability for our passengers," said GO
Transit Chairman Peter Smith.
This expansion is part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO
TRIP), a billion-dollar expansion initiative funded by the federal and
provincial governments and local municipalities, through the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund.
The Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund provides federal funding to
large-scale transportation infrastructure projects of major national and
regional significance.
For more information and/or updates on this project, call 416-869-3600,
extension 5199 or visit the program's website at www.gotransit.com/gotrip.
A backgrounder with further information on the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund is attached.
BACKGROUNDER
------------
------------
CANADA STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE FUND
------------------------------------
The Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund supports large-scale projects of
major national and regional significance. In Budget 2006, Canada's New
Government committed $16.5 billion over the next four years for provincial,
territorial and municipal infrastructure, including an additional $2 billion
for the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
Through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the federal and
provincial governments agreed to pay up to $385 million each in support of
major GO Transit rail infrastructure improvements over seven years. Greater
Toronto Area municipalities are also expected to fund part of these projects.
Federal investments including $5 billion over five years in gas tax
funding across Canada, full GST rebates to communities, and the creation of
the $900-million Public Transit Capital Trust will complement the funding.
Budget 2006 also committed $2.2 billion for the Municipal Rural Infrastructure
Fund, in addition to the $1 billion previously provided, and announced funding
for a new $2.4-billion Highways and Border Infrastructure Fund that will
progressively replace the $600-million Border Infrastructure Fund.
Under Move Ontario, announced in the 2006 Ontario Budget, the Ontario
government is investing $1.2 billion in public transit and municipal roads and
bridges to help move people and goods faster, create jobs, and build a
stronger economy. Other initiatives to improve transit and ease congestion
include:
- investing $838 million this year to expand and modernize public transit
in the Greater Toronto Area;
- tabling legislation to establish a Greater Toronto Transportation
Authority to take an inter-regional approach to creating seamless and
integrated transit and transportation; and
- providing new streetcars, buses and routes by delivering more than
$1.4 billion in provincial gas tax revenues for transit across Ontario.
The government of Ontario's Move Ontario commitments are in addition to
ReNew Ontario, a five-year, $30-billion investment in Ontario's public
infrastructure. ReNew Ontario includes investments of $11.4 billion for public
transit, highways, borders and other transportation infrastructure.
GO Transit Improvements
GO Transit carries over 165,000 riders an average of 32 kilometres per
passenger trip every day on its rail system. During rush hour, almost every
seat on all GO trains is filled. The new expansion will enable GO to
accommodate the more than 40,000 additional passengers forecast to use the
system during peak periods by 2011.
The GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP) includes 12 GO rail
projects across the system and an expansion of the GO bus network. These
projects are underway, with completion expected in 2011. Below is an update
for each project:
Stouffville corridor
Construction began in May 2006 on a GO train rail underpass that will
allow GO Transit to avoid delays caused by freight train traffic. The project
is expected to be complete by December 2007.
Lakeshore West corridor
A third track is being added on two sections to allow more GO train
service and reduce delays:
- Port Credit Station (Mississauga) to Kerr Street (Oakville); The
Provincial environmental assessment has been completed for this
project and approval is now pending.
- Burlington Station to Bayview Junction (Hamilton); Construction
is underway for the extension of the third track. Completion is
expected for September 2007.
Milton corridor
Construction is underway to build a new train storage site to accommodate
longer 12-car trains near Milton Station. The project is expected to be
complete by March 2007. This will allow trains to be stored closer to where
they start and finish in order to minimize delays and reduce unnecessary train
trips. Construction at seven Milton corridor stations to accommodate the
longer trains is also underway. Twelve-car trains will increase the carrying
capacity by 20 per cent. Construction at all seven stations is expected to be
complete by December 2007.
Georgetown corridor -West Toronto Diamond
Construction is underway on the West Toronto Diamond rail-to-rail grade
separation. This is a rail underpass that will allow GO trains to avoid delays
and conflicts with freight trains.
Georgetown South (Weston corridor)
An Individual Environmental Assessment is underway to identify
improvements required to accommodate increased GO train frequency and options
for an airport transportation link between Union Station and Pearson
International Airport. This study will address the associated environmental
impacts and the need for improved infrastructure for increased GO Transit
service and for a rapid transportation link to the airport. The Terms of
Reference for this study was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment on
October 27, 2006, and are now awaiting approval.
Georgetown North corridor
Construction commenced in fall 2006 to provide track capacity improvements
along the corridor to accommodate two new rush hour trains and limited
off-peak service to Mount Pleasant GO Station in North Brampton.
Bradford corridor
Construction of the Snider rail-to-rail grade separation at the CN York
subdivision freight line started in February 2006. This GO train rail overpass
will allow GO Transit to avoid delays caused by conflicts with freight trains.
Anticipated completion for this project is May 2007.
An agreement-in-principle has been reached with the City of Barrie to
extend GO train service to Barrie. The project will include upgrading of the
rail corridor and the construction of a new station and train layover
facility.
Lakeshore East corridor
Improvements to accommodate three-track operations at the Danforth,
Scarborough and Eglinton stations, as well as the expansion of three bridge
overpasses, are underway. Completion of these projects is anticipated in
mid-2008.
Union Station Rail Corridor Program
The signal design is currently in the industry review phase. This work
includes a complete replacement of the 70-year-old track signal system at
Union Station over the next eight years. The Don Yard has also been purchased
by GO Transit and is being reconstructed for GO Transit's daytime train
storage needs, with completion scheduled for the end of June 2007.
Other service areas
The feasibility of providing new and additional GO bus service extensions
to support Peterborough, Niagara Falls and Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph
is being studied by GO Transit. Results of the study were tabled at
September's GO Transit Board meeting.
- GO Transit has identified in its 2007/08 capital budget an
environmental assessment to extend its existing rail services east and
construct a new East Oshawa station in Durham Region. In conjunction
with this study, GO Transit will be looking at more extensive
train-meet bus service into the new East Oshawa rail station. Recently
GO introduced a bus park-and-ride lot with 85 spaces in Bowmanville.
- In 2007/08, GO will consider projects towards the implementation of the
first phase of extended bus services to Niagara Region through the
introduction of bus services with park-and-ride facilities along the
Stoney Creek section of the QEW. This will be a train-meet service that
will extend into the Burlington GO station.
- In 2007/08 GO will consider projects towards implementing the first
phase of extended bus services west towards Waterloo Region through the
introduction of a park-and-ride lot in the Guelph area. GO would extend
the service area of the Milton corridor to Guelph, making connections
between Waterloo Region and Mississauga/Toronto more convenient.
December 2006
>>
For further information: Contacts: Natalie Sarafian, Press Secretary,
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700; Neal Kelly, MTO Minister’s Office, (416) 327-9134; Vasie
Papadopoulos, GO TRIP, (416) 869-3600, ext 5175; Nicole McNeely,
Communications, Transport Canada, Ottawa, (613) 993-0055; Bob Nichols, MTO
Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158; Transport Canada is online at
www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at
www.tc.gc.ca/listserv/and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons
with visual disabilities.
Released on CNW.ca
Attention News/Assignment/Photo Editors:
Press Conference Advisory – Actor Danny Glover and Ontario Labour Leaders Answer Trespassing Charges
First Court Date for Trio after Company Uses Private Prosecution to Lay
Charges
TORONTO, Dec. 11 /CNW/ – Well-known actor Danny Glover has been charged
with trespassing, along with Ontario Federation of Labour President Wayne
Samuelson and UNITE HERE Canadian Co-Director Alex Dagg. Canadian Niagara
Hotels charged the trio, whose first court date is tomorrow in St. Catharines,
Ontario, in private prosecution after a September union rally at the Sheraton
on the Falls in Niagara Falls.
Samuelson and Dagg will appear with their lawyer Frank Addario, after
their first court appearance tomorrow, at a Press Conference outside a
St. Catharines courthouse. They will discuss the charges and the impact on the
Ontario labour movement of companies using private prosecutions to limit the
free speech and assembly rights of unions and their members.
A statement from Danny Glover will be delivered at the press conference.
Video from the original rally may be made available upon request.
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Where: Provincial Offences Courts
71 King Street, St. Catharines, Ontario
Date: Tuesday, December 12th, 2006
Time: 10:30 am.
>>
For further information: Wynne Hartviksen at (416) 510-0887, ext. 265,
(416) 473-2632 (cell)
Originally printed in the Globe and Mail
Tales from the crypt
While mummies are still among the most popular museum artifacts in the West, many of them are returning to their ancient homes
VAL ROSS
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
There’s no smell like it — the cloying, nasty, burning-tooth stink created by cutting into the bones of an Egyptian mummy. A few weeks ago, a small group of Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto scholars inhaled the smell in the form of weird, brown-black, bitumen-saturated dust when they gathered to extract a sample of shin bone from a mummy lying in the apartment of antiquities dealer Billy Jamieson. After drilling, the scholars carefully prised away an olive-sized bit and dropped it into a plastic bag so it could be taken to the university for carbon dating.
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