Province could call for judicial inquiry into Ottawa's LRT

Just hours after Ottawa city council voted againsta judicial inquiry into the problem-plagued Confederation Line, the provincial cabinet will look into calling one itself.

In an email to CBC Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for OntarioTransportation Minister Caroline Mulroney wrote thatthe province is "increasingly concerned" with the city's ability to carry out future phases of work on the light rail network.

"We need to have full confidence that the city will be able to successfully deliver," the spokesperson said.

The province has committed $1 billionto Ottawa's LRT Stage 2, and a previous Liberal government gave the city $600 million for Stage 1.

"As a result, we are looking at options that will increase the province's oversight of the project, in an effort to protect taxpayers and transit riders," according to the email.

"This may include a judicial inquiry, a review by Ontario's auditor general and further measures that may require provincial legislation. All options are on the table."

The minister's spokesperson says more oversight is being considered after hearing repeated concerns from industry stakeholders and city councillorsover the execution of Stage 1.

The Confederation Line has been shut down since mid-September when a train derailed near Tremblay station. The city confirmed Wednesday that partial service will resume Friday.

Auditor 'not a pushover'

A senior Conservative source close the premier's office told CBC that provincial officials were disappointedcouncilvoted down a motion Wednesday for a judge to look into everything that led up to the city's contract with Rideau Transit Group, the launch of the Confederation Line and its troubled operation.

• No judicial inquiry into LRT, city council decides
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The source called the LRT an "epic screw up" that can't "just be swept under the rug" and that there has to be more accountability for how this all went wrong.

Now, the provincial cabinet is looking to take the matterinto its own hands and will be discussing what options to take as early as next week.

• Province ready to hold back Ottawa LRT funding due to safety concerns

"I would support an inquiry that is pursued by the provincial government," said Coun. Catherine McKenney, who twice tried to get council to sign onto an inquiry.

"I think that it's required if city council won't move forward. I'm actually not surprised [as]the provincial governmenthas invested quite a bit of funding."

Mayor Jim Watson was asked about the province looking into the Confederation Line during a news conference after Wednesday's council meeting.

He said he had spoken with Premier Doug Ford a few weeks ago about the council's decision last month to ask the city's auditor general to investigate the LRT instead of a judge, and the premier seemed pleased.

That doesn't appear to be the case any longer. The mayor told reporters there's been no contact between either city politicians or city staff with the province about any interest of theirs to host their own inquiry, the cost of which would have to be borne by the province.

Watson also defended the work of the city's new auditor, Nathalie Gougeon.

"She's not a pushover," he said, "This is not some exercise where she's trying to appease her political masters. I expect that she will do a very thorough analysis and research into all of the problems, going back to Day 1."