ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[GtwoK]

With Benton supposedly opening today, Queen / Charles is now set to close tomorrow. Queen isn't good for a whole lot of anything right now, I guess!

Also, now that all the curbs are in around Kent, I'm wondering what the next 8 days of closure there are for... paving, sure, what that'd take no more than a day.

[Canard]

I don't know anything about how business or shares and all that works. What does this mean for Bombardier?

[kps]

I don't know anything about how business or shares and all that works. What does this mean for Bombardier?

It means the Québec government is bailing them out again.

[tomh009]

I don't know anything about how business or shares and all that works. What does this mean for Bombardier?

It means the Québec government is bailing them out again.

Yes and no.  It's neither a gift or a loan, it's an investment, and CPDQ will own 30% of Bombardier Transportation, which is very much a viable business.  CPDQ will be looking for future profits from that business (and possible disposal of their stake somewhere down the road) for returns on the investment.  With a 30% stake they will have a significant voice in how the business is managed.

And CPDQ is managed independently of the government.  Their mandate is to ensure returns for the pension plans (similar to CPP or Teachers') while also supporting Quebec industry.  This seems like a pretty good fit for their mandate, although I can't judge how attractive the price is.

[Spokes]

The new KCI steps are going to look really nice, I can already tell from the way it's been graded.

Today, King ST NB in front of GRH had been rerouted to be in the track's ROW while they made some final underground connections where the normal NB ROW would be. KW Hydro's work was supposed to last until around now, so they may be prepping for the NB curbs on King St finally.

When I walked past Charles last night there was a crew taking down the Manulife Financial sign from the Manulife overpass over Charles St, and they had the road partially blocked off to do so. Maybe it's Manulife and completely unrelated to LRT construction? Doing it now when the road is closed anyways, but for legal reasons it still needs to be registered with the city/region.

Ah, you know what? You're probably right. I mistakenly read the category as Ion Construction, but it's actually "other".

There was a drawing of this floating around somewhere was there not?  Anyone have it?

[Canard]

So I still get pretty trains? that's all I really care about. And that they have a Bombardier logo on them.

[GtwoK]

The new KCI steps are going to look really nice, I can already tell from the way it's been graded.

Today, King ST NB in front of GRH had been rerouted to be in the track's ROW while they made some final underground connections where the normal NB ROW would be. KW Hydro's work was supposed to last until around now, so they may be prepping for the NB curbs on King St finally.


Ah, you know what? You're probably right. I mistakenly read the category as Ion Construction, but it's actually "other".

There was a drawing of this floating around somewhere was there not?  Anyone have it?

Now that you mention it, I definitely remember seeing that too! I'm going through the entire Ion website though and can't seem to find them. They had plans for the rearrangement of the KCI steps, as well as an office on King St whose steps would need to be reworked (can't remember which office, though). The KCI steps were set to be a crescent shaped double staircase.

[tomh009]

So I still get pretty trains? that's all I really care about. And that they have a Bombardier logo on them.

I think you can continue to sleep well!

[ookpik]

It means the Québec government is bailing them out again.

Yes and no.  It's neither a gift or a loan, it's an investment, and CPDQ will own 30% of Bombardier Transportation, which is very much a viable business.  CPDQ will be looking for future profits from that business (and possible disposal of their stake somewhere down the road) for returns on the investment.  With a 30% stake they will have a significant voice in how the business is managed.

And CPDQ is managed independently of the government.  Their mandate is to ensure returns for the pension plans (similar to CPP or Teachers') while also supporting Quebec industry.  This seems like a pretty good fit for their mandate, although I can't judge how attractive the price is.

That 30% ownership (which can go up or down depending on how well Bombardier executes their business plan) also gives the QC government further pretext to prop up Bombardier in the future by way of  sweetheart loans. After all think of the pensioners

It also makes it easier for the rail division to be spun off or sold off if the airplane side of the business should get into further trouble or fail.

This should be good news for the LRT here because it takes financial pressure off the rail division for the next few years. (Or if you're a pessimist it gives the rail division deeper pockets from which to pay Toronto, and perhaps Waterloo region, late delivery penalty payments.)

[Square]

The new KCI steps are going to look really nice, I can already tell from the way it's been graded.

Today, King ST NB in front of GRH had been rerouted to be in the track's ROW while they made some final underground connections where the normal NB ROW would be. KW Hydro's work was supposed to last until around now, so they may be prepping for the NB curbs on King St finally.


Ah, you know what? You're probably right. I mistakenly read the category as Ion Construction, but it's actually "other".

There was a drawing of this floating around somewhere was there not?  Anyone have it?

Here is the link   http://www.rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo...sRFPV3.pdf

[tomh009]

Yes and no.  It's neither a gift or a loan, it's an investment, and CPDQ will own 30% of Bombardier Transportation, which is very much a viable business.  CPDQ will be looking for future profits from that business (and possible disposal of their stake somewhere down the road) for returns on the investment.  With a 30% stake they will have a significant voice in how the business is managed.

And CPDQ is managed independently of the government.  Their mandate is to ensure returns for the pension plans (similar to CPP or Teachers') while also supporting Quebec industry.  This seems like a pretty good fit for their mandate, although I can't judge how attractive the price is.

That 30% ownership (which can go up or down depending on how well Bombardier executes their business plan) also gives the QC government further pretext to prop up Bombardier in the future by way of  sweetheart loans. After all think of the pensioners

It also makes it easier for the rail division to be spun off or sold off if the airplane side of the business should get into further trouble or fail.

This should be good news for the LRT here because it takes financial pressure off the rail division for the next few years. (Or if you're a pessimist it gives the rail division deeper pockets from which to pay Toronto, and perhaps Waterloo region, late delivery penalty payments.)

If I understood correctly, CPDQ is buying the Bombardier Transportation shares from BBD (the parent company), allowing BBD to fund the aerospace business.  (Most of) the money won't actually flow into the transportation business.

[KevinL]

There was a drawing of this floating around somewhere was there not?  Anyone have it?

Here is the link   http://www.rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo...sRFPV3.pdf

Interesting - this plan depicts the upper flight of steps remaining with the new steps to replace the lower flight only. Nonetheless the upper section of steps have also been demolished, so some other decision was made on this at some point.

[Canard]

Really good time at the PCC tonight. Interestingly the region and cities are the ones who directed the RT team to use 24. They basically are pinned between Pinebush and Delta and weren't allowed to deviate from that.

Some sternly worded letters to our local city councillors and mayors will be coming out of or our household!

It was good to get the reasons why they directed the team to use 24, but I still think Preston/Coronation would have been better. And so did many others apparently based on feedback and comments. It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Getting trains across 401 and the tracks into Cambridge is going to be really hard and expensive. Also someone threw out the idea of why not ditch the Ainslie terminal and move it somewhere more convienent. I think that's brilliant, personally - why are we so attached to it. Kitchener isn't using their existing terminal...

Just some more ideas.

[GtwoK]

Benton reopened at about 630 tonight.

I know this because I was the first person to cross it, as the Grandlinq workers move the cones out of the way.

What a historic moment for me !

[KevinL]

Aren't you a lucky duck!

I'll be walking across it myself later tonight, then.