Here is a summary of what councillors said as the proposal – eventually passed by a 9-2 margin – to build light rail transit in Waterloo Region was discussed on Wednesday night.
Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran and Cambridge Councillor Claudette Millar voted against LRT.
Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said supporting light-rail transit is “clearly a defining moment for this council and this community.“This is a major principle statement we are making tonight.”
Coun. Sean Strickland of Waterloo said he strongly favours trains over buses as a more sustainable solution. “It is time to seize the day. It is time to transform the community . . . It is time to vote for LRT.”
Coun. Jane Mitchell of Waterloo said light-rail transit will generate jobs locally and will benefit the city of Waterloo the most as people working in the city or attending one of the two universities will be its main users.
But Waterloo Mayor Halloran said while she supports a rapid transit system, she was voting against light rail transit because opposition to the plan is what she heard from the citizens during last fall’s municipal election.
“For me it is a simple ethical decision. I made a campaign pledge to the citizens of Waterloo who elected me and trusted me,” she said.
Wilmot Township Mayor Les Armstrong said since he became elected last fall, he has learned a lot about light rail transit from regional reports and staff. “I can support this. There is good work here. There are good staff reports here,” he said.
Coun. Geoff Lorentz of Kitchener said “clearly the status quo is not good enough,” and council needs to plan for the future. He likened the opposition to light rail transit to similar views that were expressed when the Conestoga Parkway and Kitchener Auditorium were built decades ago. Those projects were also considered too costly and not needed, he said.
“You need to have vision and see the benefits, not just for you, but for other people,” he said.
Woolwich Township Mayor Todd Cowan, another newcomer on council, said he grew to support the light rail system once he learned more about it.
He said a township survey found that 82 per cent of residents support a rapid transit system and 66 per cent preferred light rail transit.
Coun. Jean Haalboom of Kitchener said light rail transit “can help shape the look of our urban centres” with more green space, while protecting rural lands.
Wellesley Township Mayor Ross Kelterborn, who did not indicate how he would vote until the actual voting occurred, said before the meeting he had Chinese food and his fortune cookie said: “You are headed in the right direction. Listen to your instincts and that is what I did.” He voted for LRT.
Millar said Cambridge – which will not get LRT but instead rapid buses in the project’s initial phase - is being unfairly treated. “I stand alone for Cambridge. It is not that we want to be snippy. It is the facts as we have heard them,” she said.
Coun. Jim Wideman of Kitchener, who chaired the meeting, said light rail transit will lead to less congested roads, quieter neighbourhoods, cleaner air and a region that will attract more employers.
“I believe this can truly be a barnraising event,” he said.
Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran and Cambridge Councillor Claudette Millar voted against LRT.
Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said supporting light-rail transit is “clearly a defining moment for this council and this community.“This is a major principle statement we are making tonight.”
Coun. Sean Strickland of Waterloo said he strongly favours trains over buses as a more sustainable solution. “It is time to seize the day. It is time to transform the community . . . It is time to vote for LRT.”
Coun. Jane Mitchell of Waterloo said light-rail transit will generate jobs locally and will benefit the city of Waterloo the most as people working in the city or attending one of the two universities will be its main users.
But Waterloo Mayor Halloran said while she supports a rapid transit system, she was voting against light rail transit because opposition to the plan is what she heard from the citizens during last fall’s municipal election.
“For me it is a simple ethical decision. I made a campaign pledge to the citizens of Waterloo who elected me and trusted me,” she said.
Wilmot Township Mayor Les Armstrong said since he became elected last fall, he has learned a lot about light rail transit from regional reports and staff. “I can support this. There is good work here. There are good staff reports here,” he said.
Coun. Geoff Lorentz of Kitchener said “clearly the status quo is not good enough,” and council needs to plan for the future. He likened the opposition to light rail transit to similar views that were expressed when the Conestoga Parkway and Kitchener Auditorium were built decades ago. Those projects were also considered too costly and not needed, he said.
“You need to have vision and see the benefits, not just for you, but for other people,” he said.
Woolwich Township Mayor Todd Cowan, another newcomer on council, said he grew to support the light rail system once he learned more about it.
He said a township survey found that 82 per cent of residents support a rapid transit system and 66 per cent preferred light rail transit.
Coun. Jean Haalboom of Kitchener said light rail transit “can help shape the look of our urban centres” with more green space, while protecting rural lands.
Wellesley Township Mayor Ross Kelterborn, who did not indicate how he would vote until the actual voting occurred, said before the meeting he had Chinese food and his fortune cookie said: “You are headed in the right direction. Listen to your instincts and that is what I did.” He voted for LRT.
Millar said Cambridge – which will not get LRT but instead rapid buses in the project’s initial phase - is being unfairly treated. “I stand alone for Cambridge. It is not that we want to be snippy. It is the facts as we have heard them,” she said.
Coun. Jim Wideman of Kitchener, who chaired the meeting, said light rail transit will lead to less congested roads, quieter neighbourhoods, cleaner air and a region that will attract more employers.
“I believe this can truly be a barnraising event,” he said.
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