Adam: Amilcar will leave OC Transpo in better shape than the transit system was in four years ago
Come to think of it, it is not a huge surprise that OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar is leaving the job to pursue new career opportunities elsewhere.
Article content
Almost four years in the pressure-cooker position of managing the city's beleaguered transit service is probably about all anyone can take. You can't blame her for walking away.
Article content
Article content
Amilcar, who leaves her post July 18, inherited an impossible task when she came to town in 2021, but she must have known what she was getting into. She arrived at a time when the transit service was in complete disarray, plagued by low ridership that was exacerbated by COVID-19, budget shortfalls, poor management, lack of transparency and in particular, a broken LRT system. We all remember the busted axles, gear box, wheel hubs and bearing issues that derailed the Confederation Line and led to the suspension of service for weeks on end in August and September 2023.
Article content
Then there were delays with the Trillium Line, which, combined with everything that was going on, sapped public confidence in the transit service. The city was at war with its main rail contractor, the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), exchanging legal blows in court filings. It was the most inopportune time for anyone, no matter how experienced, to land at OC Transpo. Things were so bad, the Ontario government launched a public inquiry into the handling of the city's LRT. Justice William Hourigan's subsequent report was a scathing indictment of the city and RTG, exposing 'deliberate malfeasance' of managers and 'egregious errors' that called into question the ability of the city to run such a massive infrastructure project. Though not of her doing, Amilcar became the face of everything that was wrong with OC Transpo, and did her best under the circumstances, though it may not have been enough to satisfy riders.
Article content
Article content
Amilcar certainly steadied the ship, bringing some stability to the Confederation Line, helping launch the Trillium Line extension, and the spur to the airport. One of her bigger achievements may have been the restoration of transparency and accountability at OC Transpo. Before her time, OC Transpo was a closed shop where a few people made decisions behind closed doors with no transparency or accountability. She changed that, to some degree. Throughout the 2023 derailment, she was upfront with information, telling residents what she knew and what she didn't. It was a breath of fresh air.
Article content
Article content
But one thing she completely owns is 'New Ways to Bus,' the largest bus service change in the city's history. The idea is to improve bus frequency, local service and connections to LRT. The system overhaul, which meant the elimination or rejigging of some routes, has been met with fierce criticism from riders, who say it is a backward move that will cause a reduction in service as some 70 routes are eliminated or replaced. It is too early to say whether New Ways will be successful or not, but this is one thing for which she will wear the outcome.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Trump's trade war exacerbates cost-of-living woes for Ontario worker
Adam Bingle has a lot of worry as the U.S.-Canada trade war drags on. Following the relaunch of Global News' On the Brink series, the 51-year-old Cambridge, Ont., resident was one of many people who contacted Global News with feedback, saying he is in a similar situation to those profiled who are struggling with the cost of living. A welder by trade, Bingle said when he first started his career, he could afford a house, two cars and a kid — but not anymore. With U.S. President Donald Trump's recent doubling of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent, Bingle said he is concerned about the impact it will have on his job, which has already resulted in some cuts. The company Bingle works for manufactures parts for forestry equipment that are sent to the U.S., where they're assembled and sold. Story continues below advertisement Bingle said he had been making $30 an hour at a different job, but when Trump came into power the first time and imposed tariffs in 2016, he, along with 300 other employees, lost their jobs when the company lost a major contract in the U.S. He fears the same thing will happen again if things don't change. 0:41 Carney says record trade deficit shows his plan is the 'right strategy' To avoid layoffs, Bingle said his employer has been moving people to different locations, but even that comes with added costs. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Unfortunately, now a lot of them have to commute to Guelph or Stratford … which in itself is a serious cost, especially with gas and whatnot. But at least they still have a job,' Bingle said. Now, making $27 an hour as a single dad with two teenagers who live with him half the time, every little bit helps, Bingle said. Story continues below advertisement A frugal shopper, Bingle said he used to make $100 stretch an entire month for food for the three of them, but now that only lasts a week. His financial struggles were further exacerbated when he bought a house during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cambridge for $75,000 over asking. 'I found a house only a few blocks from my ex's house, so that would work for the schooling and whatnot,' Bingle said. 'I had no idea what I was getting into.' 1:55 Could 10-year mortgage terms help ease Canadians' 'payment shock' at renewal? He had hoped to turn it back into a duplex to earn extra income and help cover costs, but said he ran into issue after issue. He took out a second mortgage with a 10 per cent interest rate to help pay for the renovation. Story continues below advertisement Three years later, he said he is only now reaching a point where he can list the apartment, but it has cost thousands more than he thought and almost resulted in him being homeless. 'Boy, did I learn a lesson about first lenders, second lenders and third lenders. When you hit the third type of lender, that got really bad,' he said. 'They ended up lending me $27,000. And within six months, they wanted $46,000 back.' Bingle added he he was able to renegotiate his mortgage to include the other loan, but says it cost $20,000 in legal fees to fight the third-party lender trying to foreclose on his house. As Trump's trade war continues to unfold, Bingle said he worries about what lies ahead — especially at work. 'The next round of layoffs won't be so lucky,' he said. 'I'm hoping that (with) my experience… I'm not one of them.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
It's time for regular updates on forest fire emergencies
Opinion Where there's smoke, the saying goes, there's fire. But there isn't necessarily information. Right now, we unfortunately have plenty of both smoke and fire — with the smoke obscuring the sky across Manitoba. It's not just smoke obscuring things. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures Minister Ian Bushie It is the first major emergency Premier Wab Kinew government's has had to handle, but there have been real problems with that government when it comes to getting information out. In the past, for major emergencies like floods and COVID-19, regular government briefings provided daily information that the media could pass on Manitobans. With one of the largest emergencies in Manitoba's recent history and thousands evacuated, you'd think that the government would be ready and able to answer questions — in fact, you'd think it would be trying to use the media to get as much information out as possible. It hasn't been happening. That's a point aptly made outside the legislature by Opposition Leader Obby Khan earlier this week: 'We are in a state of emergency in this province. I would think that a daily news conference, a daily press conference, a daily update to Manitobans would be the appropriate thing … This is one of the largest evacuations in Manitoba history and there's lots of unknowns out there. Manitobans have a right to know.' Instead, the government has been less than available, and less than transparent, about the fire emergency. Since the government declared a provincewide state of emergency on May 28, there have been just two media briefings on the fire, with a weeklong gap in between. And it's been relying on issuing a single new release once a day. Dated, late-in-the-day briefing notes don't help to explain the full picture to Manitobans. The June 4 fire bulletin No. 24 runs an impressive 1,387 words. But there's little explanation of anything that's occurred at the fire scenes or how they are being dealt with. Of those 1,387 words, a total of 1,195 (86 per cent) are cut and pasted from fire bulletin No. 23 of the day before. In other words, an update that contains 192 new words of information — and the bulk of that new information has to do with how donations should be handled through the proper channels, and not be dropped off at evacuation centres. The two releases list 19 significant fires — but of those, the majority of which are out of control, only one has any updated information between fire bulletin No. 23 and fire bulletin No. 24. The June 4 bulletin says that fire NO002, near Lynn Lake, has grown from 67,000 hectares to 71,067 hectares. The rest of the fires, apparently, hadn't burned any additional land or increased in size at all in that time — which is obviously not the case. This isn't to say that the information provided isn't useful and necessary — it's just woefully incomplete. The paucity of up-to-date information in those releases wouldn't matter if the provincial government had officials available who could answer media questions about fire suppression and emergency services and evacuation programs — the problem is that they don't. The government finally held a news conference on Thursday, the first since May 28. It was held, in part, to announce an information portal for Manitobans affected by the wildfires. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. The news conference is available for all Manitobans online. It was the first opportunity in a week for the media to ask questions about the fires. Hopefully, the government will see the value in providing media with access to the most information possible. There's real value in having living, breathing humans who can give cogent answers to media questions to allow us to inform the public. Will that happen? Time will tell.
Toronto Star
8 hours ago
- Toronto Star
India will soon start its delayed census, including asking questions about caste
NEW DELHI (AP) — India will start counting its vast population in a mammoth exercise starting next year. The first census in 16 years will be conducted digitally and include controversial questions about caste for the first time since independence. The Home Ministry announced plans to conduct a two-stage count ending March 1, 2027, in a statement Wednesday night. India's last official census in 2011 counted 1.21 billion people. The country's population is now estimated to be well over 1.4 billion, making it the world's most populous country, according to the U.N.'s Department of Economic and Social Affairs. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The once-in-a-decade population survey was originally due in 2021 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical hurdles. Here's a look at what goes into India's census and why it matters. The census shapes welfare policies and representation The official count of the country's people is used to allocate many of India's welfare programs and other policies. It could also pave the way for redrawing the political landscape of India as seats are added to the lower house of Parliament and state legislatures to represent a larger population. Under the 2023 Women's Reservation Bill, a third of those seats will be set aside for women. A massive count The Indian census is said to be the largest peacetime mobilization in the world. Almost 2.7 million people were hired to implement the 2011 census, visiting more than 240 million households. The Home Ministry said the new census will be carried out in two phases and conclude by March 1, 2027. The government will spell out the details and schedule of the exercise later this month. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW They'll collect information about houses and their occupants, such as sex, age, marital status, religion, mother tongue, language, literacy and economic activity — as well as caste. New questions about caste are controversial The next census will be the first to consider the caste status of most Indians. Caste is an ancient system of social hierarchy in India and is critical to Indian life and politics. There are hundreds of caste groups based on occupation and economic status across India, particularly among Hindus, but the country has limited, or outdated data on how many people belong to them. Since independent India's first census in 1951, it counted only Dalits and Adivasis, members of marginalized groups known as scheduled castes and tribes. But India also has quotas that reserve government jobs, college admissions and elected offices for a swathe of lower and intermediate castes that are recognized as Other Backward Classes. India's current policy caps quotas at 50%, with 27% reserved for OBCs. A count of these groups will likely lead to calls to raise the quotas. Successive Indian governments have resisted updating caste data, arguing that it could lead to social unrest. The announcement on the census comes months ahead of a crucial election in India's poorest state of Bihar, where caste is a key issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party runs a coalition government in Bihar.
