Fund Northlander Thorah Park stop

AI summary

Petitioners ask the federal government to fund a Northlander stop at 23801 Thorah Park Blvd and back provincial coordination and public–private partnerships to build it. The government responds that Ontario leads the Northlander project; Ottawa currently does not fund it but may consider funding if Ontario applies to the Canada Public Transit Fund.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament Asembled Whereas: The York, Simcoe and Durham region currently lacks a Northlander rail stop, forcing residents to endure excessive travel times to access rail service; Adding a stop at 23801 Thorah Park Blvd would serve residents of Brock Township, Vallentyne, Jackson's Point, and surrounding areas; Accommodate 10,000+ annual tourists visiting Lake Simcoe's south shore; Be more utilized than low-demand stops along the Northlander rail corridor; and This supports key federal priorities, including the national strategy for greener intercity travel, reducing highway congestion and vehicle emissions, and investing in resilient public transit infrastructure. We, the undersigned residents of the York, Simcoe and Durham, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to: 1. Urge the Minister of Transport to prioritize funding for this stop through the federal infrastructure program; 2. Encourage collaboration between Ontario Northlander and the Thorah Park development to ensure the stop is built and services our community; and 3. Support public-private partnerships that leverage developer contributions to expand transit access in undeserved rural areas.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada Signed by Jennifer McKelvie, M.P. The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for sharing their concerns regarding rail services in the York–Simcoe area. The Northlander Rail Infrastructure project is led by the Province of Ontario, which is managing all aspects of procurement and project management. The Government of Canada is not a funder in this project and as such, the petitioners are encouraged to reach out to the Province to address their concerns. Should the Province of Ontario choose to seek federal funding for the project, and for a station as noted by the petitioners, potential options would include the Canada Public Transit Fund. The Canada Public Transit Fund supports transit in communities of all sizes across Canada, providing funding for public transit projects that are of mutual interest to provincial, territorial and federal governments. Project leads would need to come forward with a specific funding request, in line with program requirements, for the federal government to be able to consider the request.