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Board of Trade congratulates Canada Line and fellow coalition members as it welcomes first train

August 14, 2009

The Vancouver Board of Trade, a key proponent of the need for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) rapid transit line since 1992, will officially welcome the first Canada Line train to arrive at Waterfront Station on opening day, Monday, August 17, 2009 at 10 a.m., with federal Minister Stockwell Day, Premier Gordon Campbell and the mayors of Vancouver and Richmond. Board of Trade vice chair and Spirit of Vancouver co-chair Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia will chair the event at the station. See history below:

The Board of Trade’s role in the Canada Line

The Vancouver Board of Trade was an early proponent of the need for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) rapid transit line, going back to 1992 when YVR became an airport authority – another initiative the Board of Trade was deeply involved in. In 2002, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie extended an invitation to The Board to participate in a RAV Rapid Transit Task Force, and former board director Bruce Rozenhart was appointed, and made co-chair.

The Task Force recommended the RAV line should be built in the most expedient and cost-effective manner possible to maximize taxpayer investment. It also stipulated that all technology and infrastructure chosen for the project should support those goals.

Throughout the following year, the results of extensive feasibility studies and ridership polls reinforced the need for the RAV line. The Board’s chief economist and assistant managing director, Dave Park, delivered myriad presentations outlining the benefits and need for the RAV line to all levels of government – federal, regional and municipal –and the airport authority. The public rallied behind the proposal and polls were highly favourable.

However, on May 7, 2004, the TransLink board of directors delivered a surprising decision and voted down the construction of the RAV line.

The Board immediately took a leading role to keep the project on the rails. Within two hours of the decision, managing director Darcy Rezac told the media, "This decision must not stand. The funding is in place, a construction schedule is in place in time for the Olympics, and the majority of the public want it. The Board will be joining with others to call for a re-vote, and should that not succeed, then for the provincial government to take over the project and run it."

With Board volunteer Bruce Rozenhart acting as its volunteer executive director, The Board of Trade banded together with Tourism Vancouver and others to form the Coalition For A Rapid Transit Solution. The result was a Coalition comprising 35-plus member organizations, labour, tourism and business groups. On May 11, 2004, the coalition sent a letter to chair Doug McCallum and the directors of TransLink.

"The decision made by the TransLink board of directors…is cause for grave concern and great alarm because of the negative impacts and consequences that this decision could have on all Lower Mainland residents," it stated. "There is no time to waste. Due to the considerable risk of the funding partners walking away from the RAV project and because RAVCO is now considering winding down…We believe there are answers to the situation and that RAV can happen… This is a one-time opportunity. We urge TransLink to revisit their decision."

Despite these efforts, a subsequent re-vote resulted in TransLink once again voting against the construction of the RAV Canada Line on June 18, 2004. The Coalition conducted its own poll on the RAV line.

On June 22, 2004, the coalition turned to Plan B and at a media conference held at The Vancouver Board of Trade, called on the Province to take over the RAV project. A full-page newspaper advertisement was taken out, appealing to the Premier to "do the right thing" – and encourage TransLink to revisit its negative decisions.

"We do not accept that RAV is dead," said Rick Antonson, Tourism Vancouver. "We’re asking the Premier to take over the project, so it will get done." Antonson went on to say that members of the Coalition felt that there was a strong disconnect between the TransLink directors who voted the project down and the travelling public. "We cannot let TransLink's political gridlock deliver traffic gridlock," Antonson said.

The Coalition had the public on its side. Armed with the results of a recent Ipsos Reid poll measuring public support for RAV, The Board’s managing director, Darcy Rezac made it clear at the media conference that the ball was now in the Province’s court to save the project.

"Two-thirds of people polled want the RAV project to go through," said Rezac. "TransLink’s decision to turn down even reconsidering the RAV line totally ignores what the public wants. The TransLink directors have wasted precious time to a point now that if RAV isn’t given the go-ahead next week, it’s dead. There’s only one way to put RAV back on the rails—and that’s getting the government to turn their offer into a mandate to manage RAV. There’s only one chance now for RAV to go ahead, and that lies with the provincial government."

The Coalition, under the management of Bruce Rozenhart and his core team from the Board, Tourism Vancouver, Business Council of BC, BC Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Chamber of Commerce and Building Trades Council, actively lobbied TransLink directors to "do the right thing – for all the right reasons – and vote for RAV."

The result? On June 30, 2004, TransLink voted on the RAV line, renamed the Canada Line, and this time gave its tentative approval to the project.

And on December 1, 2004, TransLink gave its official approval, making the Canada Line the largest public private partnership (P3) in Canada and the first rail P3 in North America.

On August 17, 2009, the Canada Line will officially open – ahead of time, under budget and in time for the 2010 Winter Games. The Vancouver Board of Trade will officially welcome the first train to arrive at Waterfront station at 10 a.m. with federal Minister Stockwell Day, Premier Gordon Campbell and the mayors of Vancouver and Richmond. Board of Trade vice chair and Spirit of Vancouver co-chair Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia will chair the event at the station.

See complete history, presentation, media coverage under Transportation

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