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Healthy directions with rail to trail

September 16, 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Sandy Brown

It’s easy to romanticize the railway – movies and black and white photos provide us with memories of a quieter time when travel was less about getting to work and more about connecting family, friends and loved ones. 

Many people dream of catching up on podcasts, learning a new skill or getting a head start on their workday on a GO Train leaving Orangeville. 

In 2000, the talk was about increasing our economic impact, providing local businesses an alternative to trucking product in and out of town – along with the future vision that the railway could provide commuter service.   

The Council of the day jumped in with both feet, creating the Orangeville Railway Development Corporation (ODRC) and purchased from the Canadian Pacific Railway the 55 kilometre section of the railway that connects Orangeville to the Streetsville Junction in Mississauga, passing through Caledon and Brampton.  The CPR had declared this line surplus to their operations.   In theory, this railway would provide essential product delivery to Orangeville’s Industrial Park and a reliable link to major Can-Am corridors.    The rail line was purchased for $3,500,000 using a $2,000,000 grant from the Province (David Tilson MPP at the time), $750,000 from Dufferin County and $750,000 from the Town of Orangeville.   The Town of Orangeville is the soul shareholder of the Orangeville Railway Development Corporation.  

As part of the current Council’s commitment to find ways to control or decrease taxes, we are lifting the veil off every large expenditure to examine the costs, benefits and exploring solutions that go beyond our current needs – and plan for the future. 

These are unwelcome conversations to some. To others they provide a glimmer of hope that our taxes may decrease. These conversations are hard but necessary if we are to get serious about saving taxes and ensuring residents and businesses have a voice in the decision-making process.  

Our reality is that the Orangeville-Brampton Railway has been losing money since conception and continues to lose significant money each year. The town’s railway corporation contributes over $450,000 to the running of this rail line including on going legal expenses and, most significantly, property taxes to Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga.  A legal appeal was been made to try and get a relaxation of the property taxes – that appeal failed.   A total of about $10 million has been lost since taking ownership in 2000. 

Recently a unanimous motion was passed by this Council to explore the potential value of the railway including surplus real estate assets.  Council wishes to explore the importance of the railway to business and economic development and research possible alternative uses or sale of the railway. 

The main use of our railway is and has been for The Orangeville Brampton Railway Access Group (OBRAG) – a group of four Orangeville businesses and two Brampton businesses that use the rail line, primarily, to bring in raw materials. (A reminder here – some of that $450,000 paid by Orangeville tax payers – goes to support two multi-billion dollar multinational companies in Brampton)

These businesses are a vital part of our community. Many people reading this may even work for these companies and are worried about their future. Reports have been made that these businesses will close and pull out of Orangeville. This is not the point of this discussion or a reasonable solution.  

We need to stop this flow of our money from Orangeville residents to other municipalities. We need to investigate real solutions that meet the needs of the greater community, while supporting these businesses if they need to transition to a different shipping method. 

Unfortunately, the GO Train is not economically feasible.  Current southbound GO Transit bus routes average 16 passengers per bus. This isn’t enough to fill a bus, never mind start a conversation about a train. The railway infrastructure would need significant improvement (hundreds of millions of dollars) to handle a higher speed train.   The other ongoing liability is the 42 bridges between here and Streetsville, all of which, will have to be refurbished or replaced in the future.    

One idea that is taking hold in the US and gaining momentum in Canada is the Rail to Trail movement. With the boom in Eco-Tourism and the beautiful natural areas south of us, it makes sense to explore this option. 

A new group of tourism clients has emerged who are demanding different activities, experiences and approaches to tourism. They are saying no to lounging by the pool and are in search of experiences, including active recreation and want to see their money contributing to the local economy.

A long-time staple in European countries, Eco-Tourism, and in particular cycling tourism is emerging in Canada as a popular and economically viable market. Focusing on low development, maintaining nature and providing active experiences, Rails to Trails development appeals to day-trippers, staycationers, families and the new thoughtful emphasis society places on preserving our natural environments. 

Canada’s tourism sector is proving to be a driver of the Canadian economy: it contributes to economic growth and creates opportunities and jobs. From 2014 to 2017, Canada’s tourism sector gained ground by almost every measure. International arrivals in Canada grew by an average of 8% per year and the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP grew by an average of 4.6% per year. From 2014 to 2017, the number of jobs in Canada’s tourism sector grew by an average of 1.7% per year.

The potential for Orangeville to embrace Eco-Tourism is great. The benefits are substantial for bed and breakfasts, restaurants and the local economy. New businesses will emerge and prosper with a regular intake of tourists who have different needs than traditional tourists. 

Finding a community solution – one that decreases taxes and/or increases services is paramount to our town. This includes a broader approach to exploring solutions and creating conversations, which is the only way to creating a long-term solution to our increasing taxes and needs. 

This council is listening – reach out to myself or any member of council with your ideas! 

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