Latest news with #RobLawson
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta regional passenger rail planning continues
Alberta hosted a virtual information session Wednesday to discuss plans to have a rail network connecting Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Lethbridge and more. A 'Master Rail Plan' that could chart out a regional passenger rail network across Alberta is months into its planning stage, but don't expect to be able to buy a ticket for more than a decade at minimum. The provincial government is currently hosting virtual information sessions about lofty ambitions that could see passenger trains running between Calgary to Edmonton, Banff, Lethbridge and more. 'The 15 year delivery plan will provide the framework for government to consider the different options towards the next steps in building passenger rail in Alberta,' Rob Lawson told a virtual session Tuesday night. Lawson is the acting assistant deputy minister involved in Alberta's passenger rail plan. Specific routes and potential costs are still unknown. Current sessions will consider actions governments can take decades down the road. 'It's not out of the realm of possibility that, even if government decided this fall that they wanted to invest in passenger rail and start implementing 30 year networks, and it might be 15 years before you're buying a ticket to ride on a train service,' said Chris Gentile, the director of passenger rail in Alberta. Former VIA Rail station, Calgary, June 25, 2025 The former VIA station in Calgary still exists near the Calgary Tower, though the platform is chained up and covered in graffiti. (Jordan Kanygin, CTV Calgary) Via Rail The last proper regional rail service for Calgary was VIA Rail, but the Calgary stop was cut in 1990 to save costs. VIA still operates routes in Alberta through Edmonton and Jasper. The former VIA station in Calgary still exists near the Calgary Tower, though the platform is chained up and covered in graffiti. 'VIA Rail terminated service in Calgary roughly around 1990. And a lot of the lessons learned still stand today. VIA Rail was very subsidized by the federal government, as it is today,' said David Cooper, a transit expert and mobility consultant. Any type of expanded regional rail in Alberta will need significant government involvement, Cooper adds, and current provincially-led exploration is a good first step. 'This is quite significant, actually,' Cooper said. 'When you look at how funding plays out with these big infrastructure projects across Canada, it's usually provincial governments and federal governments working together as the main funders of these overall projects. So having them involved in this makes it a lot more real.' In the virtual sessions about the outlook, provincial officials say high-speed trains are seriously being considered. 'I think a lot of people kind of get a bit pessimistic on high speed trains, but I think Alberta has reached the point where we have the population, we have the commuters, we have the amount of people who are ready and willing to pursue this a bit further,' said Justin Simaluk with the Rail for Alberta Society. Virtual sessions continue Wednesday and Thursday.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Voting opens to name Sunderland's new footbridge
Voting has opened to decide a name for Sunderland's latest multimillion-pound landmark. More than 1,000 possible contenders were submitted by the public for the new Wear footbridge. The favourites have since been whittled down to a final three for people to choose from - Keel Crossing, Wear Crossing and Beacon Bridge. Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said a panel of representatives from local community groups had been "overwhelmed" by the response. "We received over 1,000 in total, which shows just how much the campaign captured everyone's hearts and imaginations," he said. "We've had entire families, school classes and community groups coming together to think of ideas, so hopefully this next stage will spark even more excitement." The panel included Rob Lawson, chair of Sunderland Business Partnership. He said he hoped the shortlist would "capture hearts and imaginations for generations to come". Due to open this summer, the bridge is a central figure in the development of Riverside Sunderland, described as one of the UK's most ambitious urban regeneration projects. Measuring 10m-wide and spanning 260m, at a height of 30m above the river, it is one of several high-profile developments under construction. About £31m has been spent on the bridge, commissioned by the Labour-led council, which will link Keel Square with Sheepfolds and the Stadium of Light. In recent months, parts of the bridge have made their way across the North Sea after being manufactured in Ghent, Belgium. The footbridge naming vote is the first feature to go live on Your Sunderland, the new online platform launched by the council. The vote closes on 6 June. Mordey added: "By providing an open forum where residents can have a say on ongoing city developments and projects, we're ensuring everyone has a chance to shape the decisions directly impacting their lives and communities." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook and Instagram Final section of city's bridge lifted into place Construction of city footbridge hits 'milestone' Your Sunderland Sunderland City Council
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Sunderland footbridge name shortlist revealed
Voting has opened to decide a name for Sunderland's latest multimillion-pound than 1,000 possible contenders were submitted by the public for the new Wear favourites have since been whittled down to a final three for people to choose from - Keel Crossing, Wear Crossing and Beacon Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said a panel of representatives from local community groups had been "overwhelmed" by the response. "We received over 1,000 in total, which shows just how much the campaign captured everyone's hearts and imaginations," he said."We've had entire families, school classes and community groups coming together to think of ideas, so hopefully this next stage will spark even more excitement."The panel included Rob Lawson, chair of Sunderland Business said he hoped the shortlist would "capture hearts and imaginations for generations to come". Due to open this summer, the bridge is a central figure in the development of Riverside Sunderland, described as one of the UK's most ambitious urban regeneration 10m-wide and spanning 260m, at a height of 30m above the river, it is one of several high-profile developments under £31m has been spent on the bridge, commissioned by the Labour-led council, which will link Keel Square with Sheepfolds and the Stadium of Light. In recent months, parts of the bridge have made their way across the North Sea after being manufactured in Ghent, footbridge naming vote is the first feature to go live on Your Sunderland, the new online platform launched by the council. The vote closes on 6 added: "By providing an open forum where residents can have a say on ongoing city developments and projects, we're ensuring everyone has a chance to shape the decisions directly impacting their lives and communities." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook and Instagram
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MCC to address 'ridiculous' gender divide at AGM
Founded in 1787, the MCC has been based at Lord's since 1814 [Getty Images] The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is set to formulate plans to drastically increase the number of women among its members as it attempts to address what senior club figures have called a "ridiculous" gender divide. A discussion on the subject of female membership has been slated on the agenda for the club's annual general meeting (AGM) at Lord's on Wednesday. The MCC voted to allow women to join the club in 1998, having been an all-male preserve for more than two centuries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But of its current 18,350 full members, fewer than 3% are women. At a pre-AGM meeting last month, leading MCC committee figures were left exasperated at just how slow progress has been. Sources at the MCC have since told BBC Sport it is "frankly ridiculous" that so few members are women and the issue is one the club cannot ignore but must "meet head on". Frustrations have centred on how to make non-playing membership available to more women, with the club largely hamstrung by a lengthy waiting list which stands at approximately 29 years. A paper has been prepared in advance of the AGM and the meeting will be used as a platform to discuss the issue, gather the views of members and devise a model to reduce the gender divide. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While the AGM will test the water, it is understood leading MCC figures are resolutely determined to develop practical solutions. That could eventually include a new membership category, or shorter waiting times, for women to make a dent into the gender imbalance. Any such proposals would need the approval of members, with the notion of 'queue jumping' likely to have some detractors. At the current rate, the MCC will achieve a 80-20% male-to-female ratio by the year 2075 which internally has been deemed unacceptable. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement MCC chief executive Rob Lawson, chair Mark Nicholas and president Lord King are said to be among those who have made the issue a priority. The MCC has already stepped up efforts to increase the number of women among its playing members - essentially a way for candidates to fast-track themselves to membership by representing the club in fixtures. In 2024 there was a 77% increase in women applying to qualify as player members while the number of women's out-matches played by the MCC increased by 34%. A dedicated recruitment officer for women's playing members - Emma Marsh - was appointed in 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement England's women have never played a Test match at Lord's - the Home of Cricket - although one is scheduled against India at the ground in 2026. The MCC's workforce is closer to an even split, with 60% of its employees male and 40% of them female. In June 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) said in its report that the MCC had a pivotal role to play in eradicating sexism from the game.
