David Collenette to head Ottawa mayor's transportation task force

Former federal transport minister David Collenette willchairOttawa Mayor Larry O'Brien'stransportation task force, themayor confirmed Friday.

O'Brien said he will announce next week the other members of the task force, which is to review Ottawa's transportation options now that the city's proposed north-south light rail line is no longer going ahead.

The task force is to report back to the mayor in June.

Collenette was transport minister under Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien from 1997 to 2003.

The formation of the mayor's task forceis not supported by some members of the city's transportation committee, which is responsible for setting Ottawa's public transit policy and which voted against referring two issues to the task force for review earlier this week.

Committee member Georges Bédard said Thursday that council will not necessarily co-operate with the task force.

"It's not a committee of council, and so we should carry on under our own authority, under our responsibilities to try to find solutions to the quagmire that we find ourselves in right now."

O'Brien promised to review Ottawa's transportation options after council voted to cancel the light rail line in December.