Despite the fact the Algoma passenger train is proven to be beneficial to the Northern Ontario economy the Liberal government isn’t taking any action. Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes says the Ministry of Transportation is prepared to pass the file onto another ministry rather than commit to a proposal that would see the train run as a not-for profit venture.
The Ministry of Transportation says all the communities on the line are served by public roads but Hughes says that’s not the truth. She says that Oba has no public roads and the residents and businesses are left with no access to their property.
The Algoma passenger train provides a significant economic boost to Northern Ontario. Hughes says the service represents a key piece of tourism with direct and indirect economic activity upwards of $38-million dollars. On top of that it generates more tax dollars than the cost of the lost subsidy.
