Looking for inspiration? Check out the Clean Train Coalition, a grassroots community movement in Toronto dedicated to clean air, good public transit and fighting against dirty, polluting diesel trains.
On Saturday, hundreds of CTC supporters created a Human Train from Weston to Queen St. to protest plans by Metrolinx, the Ontario Government's transportation agency, to run polluting diesel trains along the rail corridor from Union Station to Pearson Airport. This is a fun, funny, creative movement that is determined to protect the quality of life along this rail corridor. Check out some of the YouTube postings.
Metrolinx wants to run over 400 trains each day along this route. The community supports getting cars off the road and having efficient public transit. But this public-private partnership deal signed by the Ontario Liberal Government would use refurbished polluting diesel trains rather than the latest in electric train technology. Diesel particulate is especially harmful to little lungs, and the rail line runs past over 75 schools. David McKeown, The City of Toronto Chief Medical Officer of Health, and the entire Toronto Board of Heath, are opposed to the diesel option because of health concerns.
To add insult to injury, while the trains would course through these neighbourhoods, they won't actually STOP there. So once again communities like Parkdale and Weston are treated as places to get through, not places where people live.
The rally on Saturday was held at Sorauren Park, itself the result of a grassroots mobilization to turn a derelict industrial site into a thriving park with a farmers markets and a bustling soccer league. This community is informed and engaged. They are determined and they vote.
Electrification is the solution. The province says that's their goal, but not for another 15 years or so. Not good enough. By that time, many of the kids who were at the rally Saturday will already have permanent lung damage.
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If you are in Toronto, join this grassroots movement to ensure the health of the community and let Premier Dalton McGuinty know that electric is the way to go, NOW!
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I am not in Toronto at the moment, but am aware of the issue. So glad to see a community coming together, and organizing such an event (YouTube video showed a pretty decent turnout). I stand behind your fight 110%, and am interested in supporting any further events that may be held, and perhaps attending should I be in town.