First Steps of the start of a new beginning of a Transformation that needs to embrace change

Finally it looks like there is a decision behind the commitment to keep Ontario Northland in public hands.  While the details behind that promise will continue to evolve as changes are implemented, it looks like there is a timeline of three years to get the plan together.
This jives nicely with the timeline of another major study being undertaken by MTO, the Northern Ontario Multi-modal Study.  The tender for Technical Consulting for this study reveals a scope that is growing, which can only mean good things for Northern Ontario.

If Ontario Northland can demonstrate its ability to create value in the same period of time, the organization stands a chance of becoming as relevant to the development of the region (expanded to all Northern Ontario) as it did in its heyday.

Many who are close to Ontario Northland must be growing weary of the call for new ideas.  That plea has gone out so many times in the past, there is not likely an idea left in the North that has not passed by the crown corporation at some point.

What is desperately needed, is a new way to evaluate those ideas.  In the past, they seemed to all be shoved through the filter of "cost reduction" before they were thrown up against the wall.  Those that showed promise of reducing the cash flow the most were propped up and given priority.  Assessment of value, seemed to rank low in the order and decisions were ultimately made by MNDM, who has very little expertise in either rail, telecommunications or development.

Their favourite target was wage reduction and to be fair, there are some examples of overpayment at ONTC.  However, there is also recognition of quality of work and dedication of the workforce, so one should be very careful about just slashing collective agreements.....in many cases you get what you pay for.

There is still a need to compare ONTC agreements with benchmarks in the relevant industry, and where a union maintains that there is value in exceeding those benchmarks, that has to be demonstrated.  There are too many sceptics in this world for a government to accept anything at face value and survive.

If anything is to be different in this, the umpteenth time of calling for fresh ideas, it must be in the evaluation process.  It will no longer be acceptable for MNDM to cherry pick through ideas and keep only the ones that reduce their cost, there must be an independent and transparent assessment of value.

The survival of Ontario Northland depends on the value they can create, judged by people who can recognize it.