How and when was the public inquiry established?
The public inquiry was established on December 16, 2021, to investigate the procurement, delivery and operations of Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit system. During this time period issues developed that have had a negative impact on the people of Ottawa. The issues included breakdowns, and derailments that lead to a systemwide temporary shutdown, raising concerns from the public about the safety of the system.
What was the purpose of this Commission?
There have been breakdowns and derailments on Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit system (OLRT1). The provincial inquiry looked into the commercial and technical circumstances that led to these issues. The Commission made recommendations to help prevent these issues from happening again for this project and future infrastructure projects in Ontario.
What was the timeline for the Commission’s inquiry?
The Commissioner released his decision in early March 2022 on who would be participating in the Commission’s public hearings. Read the Order on Applications for Standing and Funding here.
The Commission held public hearings in Ottawa from June 13, 2022, to July 7, 2022, at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. Recordings of hearings, exhibits and transcripts are posted on the Commission’s website.
Participants had until August 12, 2022, to submit written closing submissions to the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission.
In addition, the Commission held two public meetings on May 25 and 26, 2022, at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa where members of the public had the opportunity to share their views and make statements. The meetings were recorded and can be watched here.
The Commission also held a panel discussion on public-private partnerships (P3s) on July 28, 2022. It was livestreamed with English and French simultaneous interpretation and closed captioning on the Commission’s website and broadcast on Rogers TV, Channels 22 in English and 23 in French. The transcript and recording are available on the website.
Following the public hearings, the Commission asked the Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney, for an extension to deliver its final report after August 31, 2022, as permitted under the Commission’s mandate. The Commission received the authorization to deliver the report no later than November 30, 2022.
The Commissioner delivered a final report to the Minister of Transportation containing his findings, conclusions, and recommendations on November 30, 2022.
Why did the Commission call for participation from the general public?
As Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit system project affects many in the City of Ottawa, the Commission valued the public’s input.
Members of the public had the opportunity to share their views and make statements during public meetings that were held on May 25 and 26, 2022, at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The meetings were recorded and can be watched in their entirety here.
Who participated in the public hearings?
The Commissioner released his decision on who would participate in the Commission’s public hearings in early March 2022. Read the Order on Applications for Standing and Funding
The transcripts of over 90 examinations conducted by the Commission before the hearings, the schedule for the public hearings, as well as the recordings, exhibits and transcripts are available on the Commission’s website.
Why were witnesses allowed to testify remotely?
Witnesses were allowed to testify remotely to increase the efficiency of the Commission’s public hearings.
Why did the Commission hold an Expert Panel discussion on public-private partnerships?
The Commission had a mandate to investigate the commercial and technical circumstances that led to the breakdowns and derailments of Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project. The project was delivered as a public-private partnership (P3) and the Expert Panel was convened to inform the Commissioner’s recommendations. The expert panel did not provide an opinion or draw conclusions regarding the specific facts of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project.
What experts participated in the Expert Panel discussion?
The participating experts were:
- Bent Flyvbjerg
- Matti Siemiatycki
- Anne Stafford
Biographies on the experts are available here.
How many people attended the public meetings?
The Commission thanks the over 70 members of the public who attended onsite and the 12 members of the press who also were in attendance, as well as the nearly 1,000 people who watched the livestream and the thousands of people who watched on television on Rogers TV (English and French channels). The Commission is grateful for all the speakers who spoke during these meetings, onsite, by video, or by calling. All these testimonies assisted the Commission during its investigation.
When did the Commission deliver its final report and recommendations?
The Commission delivered its final report and recommendations on November 30, 2022.
What does Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT1) system include?
Stage 1 of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit system included the following features:
- A 12.5-kilometre line along the existing Bus Route System (BRT) corridor from Blair Road in the east to Tunney's Pasture in the west;
- A tunnel through the downtown core; and
- 13 stations, including three underground stations.
What is an Order in Council?
An Order in Council (OIC) is a government order recommended by the Executive Council and signed by the Lieutenant Governor.
While they have a wide variety of uses, OICs are most frequently used to:
- set up agencies, boards or commissions;
- appoint people to agencies, boards or commissions and set their salaries;
- bring laws (or parts of laws) into effect;
- appoint provincial judges and certain senior public servants;
- create advisory bodies and appoint special advisors; and
- assign legal responsibilities to government ministers.
OICs can be new or they can amend or cancel previous OICs. They must be approved by the Executive Council (the Premier and Cabinet Ministers) and are not legal until they are signed by the Lieutenant Governor.