Council Approves New Subway Cars

Bill McDonald/Steve Roberts (CFRB News) The TTC will be getting its new subway cars from Bombardier after all.

City Council has voted 25-18 to support the transit commission's decision to sole-source a 710 milllion dollar contract for 234-subway cars.

The decision wasnt without sparks during the six hour debate at City Hall.  Councillor Karen Stintz argued that the sole source contract was not the best bang for the city's buck.  "There are many opportunities that would present themselves as attractive sole source opportunities. This is not one of them," Stintz said.

"This is not a debate about a vital economy or jobs, its about what's best for taxpayers in Toronto".

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong found himself verbally tussling with TTC Chair Howard Moscoe at one point.  They found themselves shouting across the council floor after Minnan-Wong accused Moscoe of political interference in the contract negotiations.

Some councillors were simply upset that the contract wasn't put out to competition in a public tender.  But proponents, including Mayor David Miller, argued that going with Bombardier meant keeping hundreds of jobs and millions of taxpayers dollars in Canada.

"We got a great price for the taxpayers of Toronto, and kept the (manufacturing) jobs here in Canada".  Miller said.

Also nervously watching the debate, was a group of council members from Thunder Bay, led by Mayor Lynn Peterson.  At the conclusion of the vote, Peterson was wiping away tears, saying it was a huge sigh of relief for her community.  "Three hundred families will now have solid work for the next 5 years...it means they can feed their families". 

Peterson called it a "win-win" situation and says "Toronto is gonna get the best damn product there is at the best price".

The work will be done at Bombardier's Thunder Bay plant, with the first subway cars scheduled to be delivered in 2009.

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