Municipal leaders endorse eastern Ont., western Que. LRT network

More than two dozen eastern Ontario and western Quebec municipal leaders have signed a memorandum of support "in principle" for a proposed light rail network that would sprawl through the region by 2037.

"I, for one, think it's a great first step in making a kind of integrated, balanced transportation system a reality for eastern Ontario and western Quebec," said Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien.

He hosteda meetinginhis home cityTuesday to discuss theplan that would linkOttawa with Gatineau, Arnprior, Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Wakefield, Cumberland, Alexandria and other nearby communities using largely existing rail lines.

O'Brien added that the plan was more likely to receive federal and provincial funding when backed by that many municipal leaders.

Even some leaders of communities that would not be directly linked through the network, such as Brockville Mayor David Henderson,werequick to supportthe plan.

"We've got traffic there now. We've got a growing region," he said. "It just makes sense in the long run to make it connect up better."

"It's a nice dream. It's a beautiful vision. It would be great for our region," agreed Hawkesbury Mayor Jeanne Charlebois.

But she said she had some concerns.

"It's the money. It's always the money. Down the line, who's going to pay it?"

Meanwhile, Ottawa Coun. Alex Cullen saidhis city is in the midst of developing its own transportation plan while getting ready for the next step.

"From today we are going to be talking to our partners, talking to the federal government, provincial government, about thinking beyond the city of Ottawa, so that in15,20 years time we do have a regional transportation plan," he said.

The plan was released in June by a seven-member transportation task force led by former federal transport minister David Collenette.

O'Brien assembled the task force after city council cancelled the city's previous light rail plan in December.