2012/07/24 (2)The City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
Resolution
July 24, 2012
No. 20
Moved by Councillor Pietrangelo
Seconded by Councillor Gates
WHEREAS VIA Rail recently announced cuts to service that will see, in the Fall, the elimination of
on -site ticket agents at the Niagara Falls Train Station, located at 4320 Bridge Street; and
WHEREAS there is conjecture that train service to Niagara Falls could be reduced to one route a day;
and
WHEREAS the residents of Niagara Falls depend on the VIA Rail service for daily business travel,
transportation to college and university and for vacation purposes; and
WHEREAS our community is a tourist mecca in which we host millions of visitors a year; and
WHEREAS many of our community's visitors depend on VIA rail service to get to our municipality
or go on to other destinations; and
WHEREAS having less frequent rail service will make Niagara Falls less attractive to a certain
segment of the travelling public; and
WHEREAS the province has projected significant growth between the Niagara and the GTA corridor
over the next 5 -10 years; and
WHEREAS "rail" service is an encouraged mode of transportation identified by the Ministry of the
Environment; and
WHEREAS Niagara Falls, New York has identified the importance of this mode of transportation by
building a rail station that will service a high speed rail running from New York City to their
community; and
WHEREAS the American high speed rail service will undoubtedly bring many visitors to the
"doorstep" of our community; and
WHEREAS eliminating and /or reducing rail, as an alternative method of transportation, in and out of
Niagara Falls, is detrimental to the growth and expansion of Niagara Falls businesses, our tourist trade
and the overall economic sustainability and development along the Niagara and GTA corridor.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Niagara Falls City Council petition the Federal Members of
Parliament for Niagara, namely, Rob Nicholson, Niagara Falls MP; Rick Dykstra, St. Catharines MP;
Malcolm Allen, Welland MP; and Dean Allison, Niagara West — Glanbrook MP and the President and
CEO of VIA Rail, Marc Laliberte, to appeal the cancellation of services and insist that VIA Rail
services continue uninterrupted in Niagara Falls
AND The Seal of the Corporation be hereto affixed.
Carried Unanimously
JAMES M. DIODATI
CITY CLERK MAYOR