Transport committee  About the cost-benefit analysis and the risks involved with this project, the studies all go into it. There have been so many studies about cost-benefit and risk analysis having to do with this. There is a new study from the University of Montreal that's just about cost-benefit a

Transport committee  Yes, it has been built. It's being tested right now. To go one step further, we have a fellow from Siemens at our talks. Siemens, of course, has the light-rail system in Edmonton. That light-rail system has worked for decades now. When people around the world ask him about extre

Transport committee  As far as the technologies we're going to choose for the types of trains...?

Transport committee  Basically, this comes up a lot at the symposiums too: Do we have a knowledge base in technology in Canada that we can utilize to have a modern rail system? How much of it do we have to bring in from somewhere else? It is new to Canada. It just doesn't mean that we can't play an i

Transport committee  I know I'm going back to Calgary and Edmonton, but in the Calgary-Edmonton study there are two options. One is very clear; one is part proposed by CPR on their lines with Bombardier's jet train. So Cliff is definitely correct, but I'm just saying there is this example in Alberta

Transport committee  The existing rail system would still exist between passenger and freight. What we're talking about—

Transport committee  No. The high-speed would be on a different location, but the traditional VIA, let's say, would still exist the way it is now. It may change. Right? But you'll have a high-speed on a different track. It's not going to be next to—

Transport committee  In large communities, you would meet. Right? I'll give you a good example. The honourable member Dean Del Mastro is from Peterborough. This is a great example. His idea is to go up through Peterborough high-speed into Ottawa. It's a good idea. There was a rail line there. I appr

Transport committee  At that time I was involved just with VIA Rail day-to-day advocacy, such as getting a second passenger train, getting them to make their schedules meet, and that type of thing, so I wasn't involved with that.

Transport committee  I just want to comment that I don't believe you should say it's VIA Rail. When we're talking about high-speed rail, you get partnerships. I give the example of Moscow to St. Petersburg and Siemens. Siemens is a company well known in Edmonton for their light rail. They have a 30

Transport committee  Again, we're still going to have regional rail service. High-speed does not eliminate that. In fact, if it's all tied in it all works together.

Transport committee  Yes, I think we've had some really good presentations at our symposiums from people who strongly support the California mode, where they have a California high-speed rail authority, a separate body that overlooks it. And that's the whole reason--to have the competence there and t

Transport committee  I just wanted to throw in something about Calgary-Edmonton, because I think you have a belief in that. That study is from 2004, and the government just did one in 2007. I really believe in my heart that if one's going to happen in Canada, that's where it's going to happen first.

Transport committee  In Calgary, the City of Calgary has already bought the land for the high-speed station. In Edmonton, over the High Level Bridge, the city owns it. I know the mayor of Edmonton personally because he made this decision to marry my wife's cousin--

Transport committee  His whole thing is that he wants it to go downtown into Edmonton, so as far as your corridor goes, it's clearly defined. As for the Ontario-Quebec corridor, again, there are 17 studies, and we're going to do it again. We've got to move on the next study.