Cochrane Mayor Denis Clement says it’s a difficult question whether he thinks Timmins has been named northern passenger rail terminus because Timmins Mayor George Pirie is a Conservative candidate in the June provincial election.
“I can speculate, just as many people have speculated,” says a diplomatic Clement. “But I certainly don’t want to get into a political debate with Timmins.”
Clement says Timmins is a good partner to Cochrane, and that he works well with Pirie and members of his council on various committees.
At the same time that he’s being diplomatic, however, Clement says “the optics are not good”.
Timmins was chosen over Cochrane to be the terminus. says he’s particularly frustrated that he learned about it on Facebook.
He says in dealings about the return of passenger service, the biggest plus in Cochrane’s favour has been the infrastructure already in place.
“That’s our understanding of things and that’s why were certainly advocating that fact,” Clement states. “The tracks are here, the station’s here.”
Clement says it also makes more sense for people coming by train from Moosonee to continue on to Toronto without having to be bused to Timmins.