ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[gomesjustin]

They just rebranded. They used to just be 'Cadillac Fairview' and they own a lot of major malls (Eaton Centre, Shops at Don Mills, Sherway Gardens, Rideau Centre etc. etc.)

Now they added a weird 'CF' in front of everything they own, oh good old corporate rebranding strategies.

[Canard]

Wasn't it always just "Fairview Mall"? I remember going to it when I was a kid and I thought it was always just "Fairview". Is this Cadilliac thing new?

[Lens]

It's always been Fairview Park Mall, and Cadillac Fairview has owned it since it opened in the 60's. The nice thing about CF is that their mall gift cards can be used at any of their properties.

[MacBerry]

Wasn't it always just "Fairview Mall"? I remember going to it when I was a kid and I thought it was always just "Fairview". Is this Cadilliac thing new?

Cadillac-Fairview is the largest income real estate owner in Canada. When I see "C-F" I see money! 

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) purchased C-F in 1999 and have enjoyed amazing returns on this in it's real estate portfolio inside and outside of Canada.

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Buying Cadillac-Fairview for $2.3 Billion (1999)

As a proud "partial owner" of OTPP I am pleased with their ROI and pension investments.

[Canard]

Heh, "CF" to me is Cedar Fair, one of the big theme park operators in the US. They also now own and run Canada's Wonderland.

[MidTowner]

I think the most common meaning of CF for most people would be the disease...

[Canard]

Or CompactFlash, for those of us old enough to remember their "first" Digltal Camera! Mine, a Canon PowerShot 350.

Exciting news in the latest ion email update, which just arrived:

-The second TPSS will arrive sometime in the first week of April, to be installed at Bearanger.
-Track installation on King in midtown will begin March 23!
-Track installation has (finally!) started on Charles, from Benton to Cedar. The first few rails have been pulled into place on the Northbound track, extending South from the completed Benton/Charles intersection.

[KevinL]

It looks like Charles/Ontario will be reopening as soon as today. The coverings are off the tracks and the Jersey barriers out of the road; they were doing some last cleanup when I passed by at about 11:30.

[JoeKW]

Most of the big malls in the Montreal area are owned by CF. They're absolutely massive.

[panamaniac]

CTV News reports that construction on King St, Uptown, has stopped after excavation work uncovered remnants of an old corduroy road. Apparently there's an archaeological process that must be followed before LRT work can resume.

[Canard]

Oh no.

Here's the link: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/construction...-1.2826510

[jgsz]

Question.  Will the Oktoberfest and Santa Clause Parades have to find a new permanent route once ION is running?  I would think so but I haven't heard anything about it.

[KevinL]

I can properly confirm Ontario Street has reopened at Charles.

Southbound #7s are still detouring, though, at least for the moment.

[MidTowner]

Question.  Will the Oktoberfest and Santa Clause Parades have to find a new permanent route once ION is running?  I would think so but I haven't heard anything about it.

That was actually on an FAQ page somewhere. It said those parades could still travel on the LRT route and, if necessary, Ion could short-turn to accommodate them.

The Oktoberfest is traveling down Weber this year, right?

[KevinL]

The Oktoberfest is traveling down Weber this year, right?

It will be Weber again this year, yes. Should be back on King by 2017.