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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Transit hydrogen fuelling station expected before end of year
Winnipeg Transit expects to have a new multimillion-dollar hydrogen fuelling station in place before the end of this year. Since the city now has eight fuel-cell battery-electric buses and expects to order another 10, council's public works chairwoman expects the facility will be well-utilized. 'Eventually, they're not going to make diesel buses anymore and we will be dealing with hydrogen and electric, so this is not, by any means, a waste of money. This is going to serve what we have (now) and for the future,' said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). A city tender seeks a company to build a new hydrogen generation and dispensing station to accommodate up to 20 of the fuel-cell buses. Transit confirmed it has set aside about $9 million for equipment, design and construction management so far. The cost of the current contract will be added to that but won't be known until the tender is awarded. The station would be placed outdoors at Transit's Fort Rouge garage property at 421 Osborne St., as part of the city's zero-emission bus program. A $280-million tri-government Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program agreement announced in 2022 will allow between 90 and 100 green buses to be added overall, with the rest being battery-electric (non-fuel-cell) models. The hydrogen fuelling station was planned before city council voted to return to buying only diesel buses in 2027. However, Lukes said she's 'very optimistic' more senior government funding will become available, so the city can afford to further expand Transit's green fleet. 'Long-term, the goal is to continue with hydrogen and alternative (fuel) sources…. Hopefully, we're going to be receiving federal and provincial support to do our fleet conversion,' she said. Higher prices have always been an obstacle in the city's transition from diesel to zero-emission buses. In February, Transit said a 12-metre diesel bus now costs approximately $900,000, while the city will pay about $1.56 million for each electric bus of the same size and $1.9 million per fuel-cell version. Lukes said she expects a federal transit fund promised in March could help, which is expected to provide Winnipeg $11.5 million annually for transit planning and infrastructure. The federal Liberals said that fund would last 10 years, starting in 2026. The city unveiled its first hydrogen fuel-cell battery-electric bus in February and now has eight of the vehicles, along with six of eight battery-electric vehicles it's ordered so far. It expects to order 10 more fuel-cell models under ICIP, Transit confirmed Friday. In an email, Transit spokesman Brandon Logan said the fuelling station is also supported by the tri-government agreement and current buses will make good use of it. 'Fuel-cell battery-electric buses have a design life of 18 years, so the station is planned to be in service for at least 18 years. If fewer than 20 buses are ultimately purchased, there would be capacity to support additional vehicles. The station can support fuelling other hydrogen vehicles, as (it) is equipped with a standard nozzle and wireless communication,' wrote Logan. He said the hydrogen production could also be 'scaled up or down' based on demand. The city's current hydrogen buses arrived with a fuel supply, Logan noted. Transit did not grant an interview request Friday. The city expects the fuelling station to be completed by Nov. 30. City staff estimate each green bus replacement of a diesel vehicle would remove about 62 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions per year. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Sindh govt fully mobilised to deal with rain challenge: Sharjeel
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the Sindh government is completely mobilized against the recent rains and the broader impact of climate change in the country. The recent rains have caused severe damage in the north, whereas Sindh has faced torrential rains and damaging floods repeatedly since 2010 and has gained rich experience in coping with such emergency scenarios. If any other province requires assistance, the Sindh government stands ready to provide all possible support. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the administration, under the leadership of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, is fully alert, with all necessary machinery available around the clock. He stated that, on the instructions of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, all party workers and leadership are standing with the people, and public service remains the top priority. He also assured full coordination and support from the Sindh government in light of the recent visits by the Governor of Punjab. Sharjeel Inam Memon strongly condemned the unfortunate incident in Balochistan, stating that those involved in the killing of innocent people must be given the strictest punishment. He added that the Pakistan Peoples' Party strongly denounces such acts of violence and stands in solidarity with the victims. He stated that the Pakistan Peoples' Party is currently the largest party in the Senate and is actively playing its role in promoting peace, stability, and development at the federal level. Sharjeel Memon stated that, to address the challenges faced by the business community, the Sindh government has launched an online one-window operation aimed at eliminating red tape. He said that this is a golden opportunity for business in Pakistan, and the Sindh government is making every effort to provide all possible facilities to industrialists and traders. He said that strict action has been taken regarding the recent building collapse incident in Karachi. Out of 61 extremely dangerous buildings, 59 have already been evacuated. Immediate action is being taken against illegal constructions, and several such structures have been demolished. He added that the Sindh government is providing six months' rent to affected tenants to ensure they do not face hardships. He appealed to the public to promptly report any illegal constructions, as they pose a serious threat to human lives—something that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. Sharjeel Memon said that mega projects in Karachi are progressing rapidly. The Jam Sadiq Bridge is expected to be completed and opened to the public by August, while construction work is also underway on Shahrah-e-Bhutto. The Yellow Line and Red Line BRT projects are nearing completion. He said that work is being prioritized in the areas where the public is facing inconvenience. The Sindh Chief Minister is holding regular meetings on the K-4 project, which is also expected to be completed soon. Sharjeel Memon said that while the punishment of a political leader is not a cause for celebration, attacks involving arson and the siege of state property are absolutely unacceptable. He condemned the setting fire to the People's Bus Service, ambulances, and Quaid-e-Azam's house, calling it the worst form of terrorism. He emphasized that it is the state's responsibility to bring such perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law. He said that the mastermind behind the May 9th arson attack is currently in Adiala Jail. While he kept his own children abroad, he took children from ordinary families onto the streets and used them against the state. This is not politics but terrorism, which must be stopped at all costs. Sharjeel Memon further stated that, for the first time in history, action has been taken against senior government officials involved in illegal constructions. Many constructions were carried out without approved plans, and following surveys, action is being taken against those responsible. Legal proceedings are underway against builders found violating the law to ensure that no one is allowed to jeopardize human lives in the future. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time Out
6 days ago
- Time Out
The PATH is acting messy this week—here's how to get free or discounted rides to make up for it
If you commute through Hoboken on the PATH, brace yourself. Following a July 12 derailment blamed on switch problems at Hoboken Terminal, the PATH system is limping through the week with delays, reduced service and a lot of frustrated riders. But to soften the blow, transit officials are offering a slate of alternate travel options, including some that are completely free or steeply discounted. From now through Friday, July 25 at 11:59pm, PATH riders can use NJ Transit rail and light rail without paying extra and hop ferries across the Hudson for just three bucks. You'll need a valid PATH fare card or a digital cross-honoring pass from the RidePATH app to take advantage, but the trade-off might be worth it if it means avoiding the Hoboken chaos. NJ Transit is cross-honoring PATH riders at Hoboken, Secaucus and New York Penn Station, and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is doing the same at Exchange Place, Newport and Hoboken. Over on the water, NY Waterway is offering $3 ferry tickets during peak hours on routes between Hoboken and Brookfield Place, as well as Hoboken and the Midtown terminal at West 39th Street. Just be sure to ride during the posted time windows—this isn't an all-day free-for-all. Service disruptions stem from ongoing repairs to the complex rail switches that let PATH trains navigate in and out of Hoboken Terminal. Those switches were recently replaced as part of the PATH Forward rehab project but are now being blamed for a derailment that sent the last car of a 33rd Street-bound train off the tracks. The crash didn't cause injuries, but it did cause service to grind to a halt and has forced trains to run less frequently ever since. In the meantime, PATH is urging commuters to use the alternate routes while repairs continue. It's not ideal, but it's not nothing. And if you've ever wanted an excuse to swap your underground routine for a breezy ferry ride with skyline views, this is your moment.
CTV News
19-07-2025
- CTV News
Blue Line in part of northeast closed until Monday
Blue line service will be disrupted this weekend between Rundle and Franklin stations. Part of the Blue Line will be shut down for routine maintenance this weekend, disrupting CTrain service until Monday morning. The line will be closed between Rundle and Franklin in the northeast quadrant of the city Saturday and Sunday. Shuttle buses will replace train service, running every five minutes between stations. The northeast bound tracks at Rundle and Franklin closed Friday at 8:15 p.m. Full service resumes Monday, July 21.
Scoop
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Ominous Plans: Making Concentration Camp Gaza
The odious idea of a camp within a camp. The Gaza Strip, with an even greater concentration of Palestinian civilian life within an ever-shrinking stretch of territory. These are the proposals ventured by the Israeli government even as the official Palestinian death toll marches upwards to 60,000. They envisage the placement of some 600,000 displaced and houseless beings currently living in tents in the area of al-Mawasi along Gaza's southern coast in a creepily termed 'humanitarian city'. This would be the prelude for an ultimate relocation of the strip's entire population of over 2 million in an area that will become an even smaller prison than the Strip already is. The preparation for such a forced removal – yet another among so many Israel has inflicted upon the Palestinians – is in full swing. The analysis of satellite imagery from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) by Al Jazeera's Sanad investigations unit found that approximately 12,800 buildings were demolished in Rafah between early April and early July alone. In the Knesset on May 11 this year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave words to those deeds: 'We are demolishing more and more [of their] homes, they have nowhere to return to. The only obvious result will be the desire of the Gazans to emigrate outside the Strip.' Camps of concentrated human life – concentration camps, in other words – are often given a different dressing to what they are meant to be. Authoritarian states enjoy using them to re-educate and reform the inmates even as they gradually kill them. Indeed, the proposals from the Israel's Defense Department carry with them plans for a 'Humanitarian Transit Area' where Gazans would 'temporarily reside, deradicalize, re-integrate, and prepare to relocate if they wish to do so'. The emetic candy floss of 'humanitarian' in the context of a camp is a self-negating nonsense similar to other experiments in cruelty: the relocation of Boer civilians during the colonial wars waged by Britain to camps which saw dysentery and starvation; the movement of Vietnamese villagers into fortified hamlets to prevent their infiltration by the Vietcong in the 1960s; the creation of Pacific concentration camps to detain refugees seeking Australia by boat in what came to be called the 'Pacific Solution'. Those in the business of doing humanitarian deeds were understandably appalled by Israel's latest plans. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stated that this would 'de facto create massive concentration camps at the border with Egypt for the Palestinians, displaced over and over across generations'. It would certainly 'deprive Palestinians of any prospects of a better future in their homeland.' Self-evidently and sadly, that would be one of the main aims. A few of Israeli's former Prime Ministers have ditched the coloured goggles in considering the plans for such a mislabelled city. Yair Lapid, who spent a mere six months in office in 2022, told Israeli Army Radio that it was 'a bad idea from every possible perspective – security, political, economic, logistical'. While preferring not to use the term 'concentration camp' with regards such a construction, incarcerating individuals by effectively preventing their exit would make such a term appropriate. Ehud Olmert's words to The Guardian were even less inclined to varnish the matter. 'If they [the Palestinians] will be deported into the new 'humanitarian city', then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing'. To create a camp that would effectively 'clean' more than half of Gaza of its population could hardly be understood as a plan to save Palestinians. 'It is to deport them, to push and to throw them away. There is no other understanding that I have at least.' Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg was also full of candour in expressing the view that the plan was 'for all facts and purposes a concentration camp' for Gaza's Palestinians, 'an overt crime against humanity under international humanitarian law'. This would also add the burgeoning grounds of illegality already being alleged in this month's petition by three Israeli reserve soldiers of Israel's Supreme Court questioning the legality of Operation Gideon's Chariots. Instancing abundant examples of forced transfer and expulsions of the Palestinian population during its various phases, commentators such as former chief of staff of the IDF, Moshe 'Bogy' Ya'alon, are unreserved about how such programs fare before international law. 'Evacuating an entire population? Call it ethnic cleansing, call it transfer, call it deportation, it's a war crime,' he told journalist Lucy Aharish. 'Israel's soldiers had been sent in 'to commit war crimes.' There is also some resistance from within the IDF, less on humanitarian grounds than practical ones. To even prepare such a plan in the midst of negotiations for a lasting ceasefire and finally resolving the hostage situation was the first telling problem. The other was how the IDF could feasibly undertake what would be a grand jailing experiment while preventing the infiltration of Hamas. This ghastly push by the Netanyahu government involves an enormous amount of wishful thinking. Ideally, the Palestinians will simply leave. If not, they will live in even more carceral conditions than they faced before October 2023. But to assume that this cartoon strip humanitarianism, papered over a ghoulish program of inflicted suffering, will add to the emptying well of Israeli security, is testament to how utterly desperate, and delusionary, the Israeli PM and his cabinet members have become.
