Thank you, Chair.
I'm going to change gears a bit, Minister. VIA Rail wasn't here today. I know they're coming to a future meeting, but in your opening remarks you mentioned the issues they had.
I want to share with you an email I got from a constituent whose 83-year-old mother and her 82-year-old friend travelled from Chatham to Aldershot on December 23. Their train was four hours late getting in, but she said that given the weather conditions, they accepted that and were thankful that they arrived safely. However, when they returned home on December 27, they were supposed to arrive at 9 p.m. Their train was five and a half hours late. These two 80-year-olds got in to an unmanned VIA station at 2:20 a.m. It is very difficult in a smaller town like Chatham to get a cab at 2:20 in the morning.
I recognize that VIA Rail is a separate entity and that you're not in charge of it, Minister, but I would welcome your thoughts on VIA Rail and its actions over the holidays, and on ongoing issues like the one this older woman and her friend encountered.