(Campbell’s Bay, QC, April 23, 2012)  The not-for-profit Transport Pontiac-Renfrew (TPR) has provided a progress report including information on a new Board structure and final timelines for the pending acquisition of the CN Beachburg Subdivision railway line.

In an April 19th briefing session for elected officials and representatives from the municipalities through which the line runs, existing TPR executives presented a well structured overview of its developing plan.

On March 23, 2012, the Ontario Government announced they would begin the sell-off of the Ontario Northland Tranportation Commission.

They say this is necessary to balance the books of Ontario, yet Ontario Northland is the only Agency being sold off.

Prior to this announcement they conducted absolutely no consultation with any Municipality, Chamber of Commerce, or user of Ontario Northland's services in Northeastern Ontario.

Railway woes are not just confined to the Outaouais. The recent announcement that the Ontario Government wishes to divest itself of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and its associated road, rail and marine operations reminds us that others are having similar problems.

Since the beginning of 2012, activity on re-lauching the Outaouais’s tourist steam train has been gathering steam. Following the purchase of the train by the CCFO (Compagnie de chemin de fer de l’Ooutaouais) to keep it in the region, meetings have been held without stop to make plans to get the train back on the rail line.