NORTH BAY — New Democrats joined workers from the Ontario Northland Railway today to mark a historic date – the driving of the last spike for the ONR. On July 15, 1932, the last spike was driven in the rail bed at Moosonee completing a 30-year project to connect communities from Toronto to James Bay. In celebration of the event, a barbeque and rally was held at the ONR yard in North Bay. Those gathered were determined not just to mark history but to fight for the future.
Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof says the anniversary is a good opportunity to reflect on how important the Ontario Northland Railway is to the residents of Northern Ontario.
“The fight to restore train services goes on. This fight is far from over. New Democrats have been successful in stopping the fire sale of the ONTC. We now need to work with all the communities along the rail line to restore proper service for the north.”
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus says the Last Spike anniversary is part of the rich history of Northern Ontario.
“The rail line opened up the north. The building of this line created enormous wealth for urban Ontario. Today, the ONR has developed telecommunication infrastructure and transportation capacity. We need to protect this legacy and fight against attempts to short-change the people of Northern Ontario.”
New Democrats say the people of Northern Ontario have a right to quality public transportation.
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