More work is rolling into the local Bombardier plant after a stop in Thunder Bay by the Premier.
Dalton McGuinty arrived to the city Friday morning to announce a nearly $200 million contract with the plant to build 60 GO Train cars and more than 100 jobs. McGuinty said in 2003 that the plant had about 250 employees. Now it has 1,300 with more jobs on the way.
It is part of the $6 billion Liberal investment to create a two-way, all-day GO Train system.
“When you go to bed at night and the house is quiet and your head is on the pillow and you’re alone with your thoughts,” McGuinty told workers on the Bombardier floor. “I hope you have a tremendous amount of satisfaction that comes from knowing you’re making a difference.”
CAW Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino said the announcement is great news for the plant.
The car will be a new design that has a different frame, is more energy efficient and has LED lighting as well as being safer. He expects the plant, which will start production on the cars next year, will see significant new investments.
“It’s a significant change in the structure of the car,” he said. “They are going to be spending a lot of money to get this car right”
After the announcement, McGuinty was asked how he could justify the expense while facing a massive deficit and making cuts to places like the Ministry of Natural Resources.
“First of all we’re not making cuts,” he said. “What we’re doing is finding ways to introduce more efficiencies.”
Natural resources minister said they want to find ways to better serve the public but how that’s done is yet to be determined.
“The truth is many of the decisions have not been made,” he said.
On the Ring of Fire, McGuinty said he wasn’t meeting with any First Nations representatives while in Thunder Bay but he did stress the fact that all parties, including the federal government, need to work together.
McGuinty met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday to discuss transmission lines, roads and other infrastructure needs for the project.
The Premier said he wants to see the federal government step in to help develop the Ring of Fire similar to its role in developing the oil industry in the west.
“I can’t do that alone,” McGuinty said. “The three of us, that would be unbeatable.”
