Raise the Hammer

This soap opera/saga has a very familiar feel to it for someone who lives in Ottawa and remembers the North-South LRT project debacle. The mostly right wing and technocratic opposition to Ottawa's North-South LRT Line (the Transitway only senior city staff), which had been approved in 2005 and had a signed contract and operating agreement with a coalition of 20 companies including, Siemens as the main contractor and vehicle supplier, used the federal (Conservative) government to delay its portion of the line's funding until after the 2006 municipal election. Some believe that mayorial candidate and anti LRT project man Larry O'Brien was the letter writer that first asked the feds to do this. Then as the new Mayor, Larry O'Brien then had another vote on the plan and the new council voted to cancel the plan. Unfortunately, "we" as a city, had a signed contract. The new Mayor a high tech businessman swore up and down nothing will happen and we will get through all this, just fine. The City of Ottawa was sued by Siemens because work had already started and they wanted to recoup costs and yes, we had a signed contract with them. Well Ottawa lost twice, the first loss was the actual case, which we had to pay $42 Million in damages. Secondly, after spending tens of millions dollars for design studies and EA's and pre construction work, the reputation of the city was wiped out. No one wants to do business with someone who just decides to ignore and cancel a multi-million dollar contract for political reasons. For this reason I know companies and consultants who "pad" any contract when dealing with the city so that if their work is cancelled they get some money out of the work.

These short sighted municipal politicians are dangerous because they now want to cancel a project because there long term opposition to it now defines them, any change to their position will end their political careers. They now have no reason to fear totally destroying the project by any means and your city's reputation along with it. Be warned, after this Committee meeting they (anti LRT councilors) were hurt by the support that the public gave the LRT program, wounded, they are even more dangerous!