A "transformational" opportunity: restructuring Ontario Northland prepares to pick up steam.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

A new "transformational" era has arrived at a reformed Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) and its interim CEO is urging everyone to get on board.

Senior management at the North Bay-headquartered Crown agency are hitting the road for a series of town hall discussions in communities across northeastern Ontario to lay out their plans to transition into a new chapter.

"I'm hoping it's sort of a Northern Ontario family initiative," said chief operating officer Corina Moore, who's temporarily occupying the seat while a search is underway for a permanent chief executive.

Paul Goulet resigned as president and CEO in October after more than four years at the helm.

The ONTC's telecommunications arm. Ontera. was sold to Bell Aliant during the Ontario government's aborted divestment attempt, but the rest of the rail, motor coach and repair shop business units remain intact.

Nevertheless, some major changes are in store as Ontario Northland's restructuring plan is rolled out over the next three years to usher in a more sustainable version of the corporation; one that's more efficient and less reliant on taxpayer subsidies.

"This is a really exciting time for Ontario Northland," said Moore. "There certainly has been challenges over the last two and half years for the communities we serve and the employees, and this is a real turning point for us."

A prime focus of attention will be driving new business into the ONTC's large 150,000-square-foot rail, locomotive and paint shops in North Bay.

Since 1948 the shops have handled mostly in-house projects, but they've parlayed that expertise in recent years into handling contracts from Metrolinx, Go Transit, CN Rail, Via Rail. Montreal's Agence metropolitaine de transport, and Rail America.

"Our quality is outstanding," said Moore. "The customers that we have worked with have been from across Canada. There's a reason why Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train from out west, came here to get their cars painted."

The plan is use the smaller Cochrane shop for the day-to-day maintenance and repair of its own rolling stock - including rebuilding the coaches for the Polar Bear Express - while positioning the larger North Bay facilities to handle more outside work.

"The sky's the limit in that shop," said Moore, who forecasts an abundance of bid opportunities ahead as many transit authorities across Canada approach the 15 to 30-year window to start refurbishing their fleets. She anticipates the inroads...