RAC 2021 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
On Friday, February 12th, the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) filed it’s 2021 Pre-Budget Submission to the Ontario Ministry of Finance. This was in addition to the RAC’s participation in the Ontario Government’s 2021 Budget Consultation session (Ottawa Townhall), which took place on Friday, January 29th.
The submission outlines 4 key recommendations:
- Create a provincial capital funding program to support shortline infrastructure investment;
- Collaborate with the federal government in launching VIA Rail’s HFR project to create employment, stimulate sustainable growth and leverage the environmental benefits of moving more passengers by rail;
- Implement accelerated depreciation measures to enable freight railways to continue supporting the needs of the Ontario economy;
- Provide additional capital funding to ensure transit is part of Ontario’s economic recovery. This financial support will help restore jobs, connect people, and keep transit central to a lower-carbon economy and more sustainable urban life.
The pre-budget submission is available on here for your information and distribution. Members are encouraged to reinforce its themes in budget related discussions and submissions to officials.