Thank you, Chair.
This is an absolutely fascinating discussion. I want to first of all commend our chair for his great wisdom in thinking of inviting the railways to appear before our committee.
Thank you for that, Chair.
To begin, I was very intrigued by your statement at the outset that the railway is experiencing a renaissance. I agree with you on that. There's really nothing more Canadian than the image of the Mountie in red serge on horseback with the train behind them racing through the mountains.
You were dead on when you said this country was not built by revolution but by the railroad. We are the only country in the world that was not created out of revolution or rebellion. The history of the railroad holds a very special place in the hearts of all Canadians.
I want to talk a bit about the railway industry as an economic generator in this country. You mentioned the industry employs 35,000 people directly and that you contribute $12 billion annually in tax dollars to various levels of government in the country.