Ontario town eyes GO Transit service along abandoned 50-kilometre rail line

An Ontario town is pushing to bring GO Transit service along a roughly 50-kilometre former rail corridor.

Collingwood council voted unanimously last week to request that Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation undertake a feasibility study into extending GO Transit service to Collingwood.

The motion, which was put forward by Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, comes as Collingwood looks to improve transportation options for both local residents and the millions of tourists it attracts every year, thanks to its attractions like Sunset Point Beach and nearby landmarks like Blue Mountain Resort and Village.

"What has been on my mind is the fact that we are a four-season community and we have so many people coming to our communities year-round," Hamlin said at an Aug. 20 meeting. "I believe it's important that we have some GO Transit here from Barrie. Getting people here by transit is impossible."

Hamlin said she's also spoken with local businesses about the importance of having public transit options available for workers who might not have access to a car. "Not everyone can afford a car. The purpose of this is to get things started, and we need to start with Metrolinx and the province."

The proposal comes as the community looks at the potential future of the former Barrie-Collingwood Railway corridor, which once provided a rail connection between Collingwood and Barrie.

Although the former railway corridor stretched for roughly 50 kilometres, much of the infrastructure has since been removed, and the former Collingwood-to-Utopia section now serves as a recreational trail. The County of Simcoe owns that roughly 38-kilometre section, while the portion east of Utopia remains an active freight railway.

At last week's meeting, Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer asked that the motion be deferred, and noted that while he supported returning rail service to Collingwood, he wanted more time to speak with county staff. He also clarified that the town had not yet formally consulted with the City of Barrie about the proposal.

No other councillors supported the request for a deferral, so council ultimately voted in favour of moving forward with the feasibility study request.

Other councillors questioned whether building a new railway track should be the immediate priority. "Traffic is a nightmare, but I know when GO does expansions, they always run a bus first. I think jumping to rail right off the hop is a big ask," said councillor Steve Perry.

Town Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Sonya Skinner also noted that Metrolinx indicated in the past that this particular expansion was not in their long-term strategic plans.