gm,

That's a great question and it brings up many other queries. Everyone agrees that ROF access is a complex problem involving many parties.

The ONTC Commission finally revised it's MOU and unions at the ONTC were invited to the table this month. ONTC's contract with Canadian Auto Workers Local 103, whose members work in the shops, stations and clerical positions and make up about half the ONTC employees, runs out at the end of 2013.

Agreements with other unions at the ONTC run through 2014. The ONTC has more than 940 employees and serves 53 communities in northern Ontario.

The ONR Labour Unions and KWG hoped to create their own Ports Authority between Moosonee and Koper Lake, which would provide jurisdiction to these agencies "to run their own businesses, run their own balance sheets and borrow money to maintain these assets and build them out."

In the case of the James Bay and Lowland Ports Authority, the project is just shy of $2 billion.

Access to all the divisions financial statements by Ontario is still being withheld, information needed to create the port authority.

Premier Wynne continues to talk about re-regulation of the Ontario's coach industry. Ontario has yet to reveal it's multi-modal transportation strategy.

I would propose that the active members of this forum begin to collaborate on making a list of questions that George Tsiolis of Agoracom could ask Frank Smeenk.

We know that there will be a series of interviews over the next months on various topics, like the natural gas chromite reducer.

KWG members could pose questions and all could debate their wording, prioritize the list, separated according to topic.

For example, on the topic of Infrastructure: North South Railway,

Question One: The ONTC’s freight division would play a critical role in transporting chromite ore from the Ring of Fire. Given Ontario talking about re-regulation of the Ontario's coach industry, ONTC Commission negotiations with unions, can the ONTC rail freight division be separated and moved into the JB&LPA without union agreements in place and are there other ONTC divisions need to create a working ROF port authority?