Gravelle grants ONTC audience

The Nugget
By: Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles
Tuesday, November 4, 2014


The time has finally come.

The General Chairperson's Association will have an hour this afternoon to ask Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle about the future of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

And the GCA's spokesperson isn't going to waste a minute of it.

“We want to know what is the plan for the ONTC?” said Brian Kelly.

“We want to know about the Ring of Fire and if we will have a part in that development, we also want to know if there's going to be a strategic alliance?” he said.

“We've been adrift for three years now and I don't see more work rolling in.”

Kelly said the meeting scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the ministry's Toronto boardroom has been a long-time coming.

He said the union has been “hounding” Minister's Gravelle's office, writing letters and making a surprise visit to Sudbury to talk to the Premier who was making a funding announcement at Science North.

Kelly said time is of the utmost importance.

“Some of the work in our refurbishment division will be stopping in January and in April the GO Cars that were subcontracted from CAD (Canadian Allied Diesel Railway Industries Ltd., of Lachene, Que) will also be gone,” he said.

“All we want is an idea of their future plans for the ONTC.”

Kelly is also hopeful the ministry will make some decisions regarding the leadership of the organization.

“We want two members of the commission replaced and a new president,” he said Tuesday afternoon.

Corina Moore is currently the interim chief executive officer and president of the ONTC following the sudden departure of Chief Executive Officer Paul Goulais.

Moore was named COO in 2010, responsible for business operations across all divisions of ONTC and vice-president of the refurbishment division.

Kelly said the new CEO and president must have a vast amount of rail and business experience, as well, a good track record working with unions.

He is also calling on the ministry to find two new commissioners to replace Greg Percy, vice-president of operations at Metrolinx, and ONTC chairman Ted Hargreaves.

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