OTTAWA — Prime Minister Trudeau says Thunder Bay's Alstom plant will benefit from new federal funding for mass transit projects in Toronto.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday in Ottawa, Trudeau announced that his government has reached an agreement with Ontario that will see $12 billion dollars invested in rapid transit in the Toronto and Hamilton areas.
Some of the money, the Prime Minister said, will go to zero-emission streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission.
"This deal will also help create good middle-class jobs at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay," Trudeau said.
Speaking moments later in French, he said the Alstom plant in La Pocatiere, Quebec, will also benefit from the project.
Further details about subway projects were provided later at a joint news conference by federal, provincial and municipal politicians in the Greater Toronto Area.
However, there was no further information about any order for new streetcars.
A spokesperson for the Ontario government told TBNewswatch "more updates will be provided in the coming days."
There was no immediate comment about Trudeau's statement from Alstom, but the president of Unifor Local 1075 in Thunder Bay said "This is absolutely good news."
Dominic Pasqualino said the local plant "is at a desperate point," adding that workers there have been waiting a long time to see the plant "booming again."
A source with the Toronto Transit Commission told TBNewswatch he believes the federal funding will support the construction of 60 streetcars the TTC board included in its capital plan last October.
"It sounds like that's the work that would come here," Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro speculated.
Mauro called the Prime Minister's specific reference to Thunder Bay "better news than what was previously the case" but cautioned that Alstom has told him the long-term viability of the local plant will require more than an order for 60 streetcars.
"They've been very clear they did not see that as enough work for them to make long-term commitments to this plant....There's obviously the need for more subway [cars] and we can do that here as well."
Thunder Bay - Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski said the federal government "has been holding out for these jobs to come to Thunder Bay."
He added "We'll have to wait for the specifics as to what is involved. Obviously the streetcars are a big part of the deal, but what else is involved, I'm not sure, and I'm not sure what's going to La Pocatiere.'
Powlowski also said he still hopes "there may be something beyond the streetcars" coming to Thunder Bay.
NOTE: This story was updated at 3:38 p.m. to include information from the TTC and comments from Mayor Bill Mauro and MP Marcus Powlowski
