THUNDER BAY — NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on the federal government to fund a project that would upgrade transit in Toronto and maintain jobs in Thunder Bay.
"My vision is, anytime you see a street car . . . I want to see a plaque on it that says, proudly built in Canada. I'd love to see it say proudly built in Thunder Bay," Singh says.
He wants the federal government to get the wheels in motion and contribute to a major Toronto transit project. Ontario is already committed, investing $758 million.
The purchase of new subway trains is crucial for Alstom workers, with union leaders fearing layoffs could be on the horizon without the contract.
"Right now, we’ve got a federal government, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, that have been a stick in the mud.
“They’re slowing down this process. A deal that’s ready to go, that’s waiting on the feds, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are just delaying. It means these workers don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Singh said.
Singh said it could all be resolved today; that's why he’s calling on the government to invest now.
Justin Roberts, president of Unifor Local 1075, says not getting the project moving could be devastating to local workers, with the lack of work potentially resulting in layoffs. “Thousands of workers in Thunder Bay, where the subway trains are made, are depending on the federal government to fund its share of the project,” he said.
Roberts said the province as well as the city of Toronto reached this deal many months ago, but are still waiting for the federal government to announce its commitment.
“The province of Ontario has already pledged $758 million dollars, for the new line 2 subway trains, conditional on the federal government doing its part,” Roberts said. “We are calling on the federal government to step forward with its share of funding for the TTC line 2.
