Thunder Bay is benefiting from the federal Buy Canadian procurement policy through a new subway contract for Alstom’s Thunder Bay facility.
Alstom has finalized a deal with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to supply 70 new subway trains for the transit network, with a contract worth $2.3 billion. This agreement includes options for as many as 150 more train sets, each consisting of six-car configurations. The deal was announced last August.
The funding for this contract was celebrated at the Alstom plant on January 15.
The trains will be designed and built in Canada, with assembly taking place in Thunder Bay.
Out of the 70 six-car trains, fifty-five will replace older vehicles on Line 2 of Toronto’s subway system. The remaining trains will be used on the extension of Line 1 to Yonge North and on the extension of Line 2 to Scarborough.
This public transit project sees investment from all three levels of government – Ottawa, Queen’s Park, and the City of Toronto.
Unifor, one of Canada’s largest unions, expressed satisfaction that this new contract will secure good-paying jobs in Thunder Bay, particularly for Local 1075.
“We have been saying this since the beginning of the U. S. trade war- that all levels of government need to use their procurement dollars to maintain jobs in Canada,” said Lana Payne, national president of 320,000-member Unifor, in a release.
“This contract with Alstom is the way forward to supporting workers and building a resilient Canadian economy. We’re happy all three levels of government came together to secure good manufacturing jobs. This Made-in-Canada solution is a model it for all sectors.”
In upcoming years, governments across Canada will invest billions into transit vehicles within an industry valued at $2.9 billion in GDP recently.
This positive news follows an almost $500-million commitment from the Ontario government set for early 2025 to refurbish 181 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches right here in Thunder Bay.
“Our members are ready to get to work. We’ve been waiting for this moment,” said Unifor Local 1075 president Justin Roberts.
“We take extensive pride in building reliable, sturdy and long-lasting subway cars and this pride radiates into our community, which will, no doubt, thrive from this contract.”
The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) noted that this order reinforces Thunder Bay’s “long-standing role as a national centre for rail manufacturing in maintaining 240 manufacturing jobs in the city.”
“The work being done in Thunder Bay is a powerful reminder that Northern Ontario is a key contributor to building and maintaining the infrastructure that keeps our cities moving and our economy strong,” said NOMA president Rick Dumas, who is also mayor of Marathon. “When Ontario invests in homegrown manufacturing and skilled workers across multiple regions, everyone benefits.”
The funding commitment aims to generate domestic spinoffs by utilizing Canadian steel and aluminum supplies, according to NOMA.
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