Transit Committee received the report from Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar on June 12 as an update on the Stage 2 Light Rail Transit Project, which includes extensions east and west.

According to the report, the east extension is now undergoing software upgrades and operator training in addition to ongoing testing and final construction. The stations are also all complete.

The next step will be Substantial Completion, which is expected to be completed in Q2, and will be followed by trial running before the system begins service.

The west extension to Moodie Road is still undergoing construction of stations, guideway, track and infrastructure, the report said, resulting in a series of traffic detours that “continue to be necessary”. 

The stations along the west extension, including Moodie, Pinecrest and Queensview on Line 3, are undergoing testing and interior finishes. The Line 1 stations, including Westboro, Iris, Algonquin, Lincoln Fields and Kichi Zìbì are nearing completion and “progressing well”, the memo said. Construction of the pedestrian bridge at Algonquin Station is also ongoing.

The contingency fund for stage 1 is $115 million, of which $102 million has been spent, and remaining funds are expected to address property requirements. 

The original contingency fund for stage 2 was $152 million but was increased by $25 million by City council in 2022 and another $110 million in 2023 due to “unforseen costs and improvements.”

According to the report, approximately $260 million of the stage 2 contingency fund has been committed to date.  

East/West Connectors (EWC) was awarded the contract to design, build and finance the Confederation Line, also known as Line 1, in 2019. The project will extend Line 1 from blair Station to Trim Station in the east and from Tunney’s Pasture to Moodie Station (Line 3) and Algonquin Station in the west.

It was also announced at the meeting that after nearly four years as general manager, Amilcar will be leaving OC Transpo to head Quebec’s transportation agency as president and CEO of Mobilité Infra Québec. 

At the committee meeting, chair Glen Gower commended Amilcar for overseeing the launch of Lines 2 and 4, redesigning the Ottawa bus network, and improving the public perception of public transit.

“We should all be very proud of the progress we’ve made toward improving customer service, restoring public trust and building a stronger, more reliable transit system,” Amilcar told committee and staff. “I will say that OC Transpo is on the right path, guided by strong civic leaders and a dedicated workforce. I’m very sad to be leaving.”

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In a report to the committee, OC Transpo said the O-Train Confederation Line, which runs east-to-west, is nearing completion of the final construction and testing phases in the east extension, which will extend the track to Trim Road. The extension project is adding a total of 24 stations, 44 kilometres of rail and 45 new trains to the existing network. 

The East extension will add five stations at Montréal Road, Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard, Convent Glen, Place d’Orléans and Trim Road. Currently, the extension in the East end is undergoing train testing and operator training, as well as completion of surrounding infrastructure, like the Trim Park and Ride lot and paving of Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard. 

Before opening for service, the track must reach substantial completion, followed by trial running before final safety approval.

In the West, the LRT has been expanded out to Moodie Drive with train testing anticipated to begin later in the spring on a small section of track. Rail installation is nearly complete and station construction is still underway and is on track to reach final stages in 2026. 

During the construction of both extensions, there have been periodic lane and ramp closures on surrounding roads, which Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh said has caused increased traffic and congestion and “major fallouts” in her ward.

She commended the LRT Stage 2 team for their support, but said she wanted to acknowledge the “consequential effects” of the ongoing work, which includes the reconstruction of Richmond Road and construction of seven LRT stations within Bay Ward. 

“It’s been very impactful to those businesses, and we’ve even had one that left the area because of it,” she told the committee and its participants. “I just want an acknowledgement that this has been problematic, and hopefully we’ll be seeing the end of it with a wonderfully new, reconstructed Richmond Road by the end of this year.”

In an interview with Ottawa Compass, Kavanagh said the construction has had a “tremendous” impact on her ward and that the excitement of the LRT extension “hasn’t quite set in.”

“This has been going on for five years, so it’s not something that just started,” she explained. 

The section of track in Bay ward is a “cut and cover tunnel” that required deep trenches dug “right in people’s backyards,” as Kavanagh explained. The tunnels have been completed now, but the construction is also aligning with the resurfacing of Richmond Road, which has resulted in more digging.

“Digging is very, very difficult for people to deal with because it means closed roads, noise, mess, and that had a huge impact,” she said. 

The proximity of the track will ultimately result in a more integrated transit system that can bring passengers into the heart of the neighbourhoods in the west end. But the process to get there isn’t comfortable. 

“I don’t think the excitement is palatable yet, but I think the [South extension] helped people to envision that there’s something new is coming. it’s just starting to sink in,” she explained. “But part two of it is that there’s more development around as well, so that construction will continue. 

“You’ll have new buildings being put up because we’re intensifying around the stations. So, while it’s not related directly to the LRT, it’s related to the fact that there will be a station there,” Kavanagh continued. “So, they’re quite aware that that construction will be happening.”

It’s expected that East-West Connections (EWC), the company contracted to build and operate the Confederation Line extensions, will hand the West extension over to the City for trial running by the end of 2026. 

Both extensions have been designed, built and financed by EWC and owned by the City of Ottawa but will be maintained by Rideau Transit Group (RTG).

The progress on the East and West extension follows the opening of the O-Train south extension, which provides service to the Ottawa International Airport and Limebank Road.

In March 2019, City Council approved the Stage 2 Light Rail Transit Project, including a contingency fund of $152.5 million, reflecting approximately 3.3 per cent of the $4.6 billion project budget.

Then, on July 6, 2022, City Council approved the Stage 2 LRT Contingency Funding Report  for an adjustment to the budget with an increase of  $35 million for increased utility costs and $25 million for an increase to the general contingency budget. The overall contingency budget was increased to $177.6 million.  

Since then, the project budget has been amended to $4.9 billion. Of that, $2.29 billion is funded through provincial and federal grants.

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This would free up life cycle and capital payment funds for the City of Ottawa and upload and integrate the Ottawa LRT under Metrolinx, similar to the ownership model for local transit in other parts of Ontario.

With this move, the province would take responsibility for all operations and costs of the LRT, including the ongoing lawsuits associated with the system, which Ford said will save taxpayers money and “improve local services as we treat Ottawa fairly.”

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has been calling on both the provincial and federal governments to support Ottawa’s transit system. The 2025 City of Ottawa Budget involves substantial investments in public transit but requires an increase in transit fares and includes a $36 million gap in funding that the municipality hoped would be filled by upper levels of government. 

On Jan. 29, the City received more than $180 million from the federal government towards public transit through the new Canada Public Transit Fund’s Baseline Funding stream. Through this investment, OC Transpo will receive annual funding amounting to over $180 million over 10 years to upgrade, replace and modernize Ottawa’s public transit system. 

Tuesday’s announcement builds on the New Deal for Ottawa, announced in March 2024, which includes nearly $550 million in investments in infrastructure, roads and highways and social services in Ottawa.

“We’ve made historic investments in Ottawa because we recognize its importance as our nation’s capital, Ontario’s second-largest city and Eastern Ontario’s major economic hub,” said Doug Ford. “With the threat of President Trump’s tariffs continuing to loom over our province and country, it’s more important than ever that we invest to support taxpayers and critical infrastructure through our plan to protect Ontario.”

In a memo, city manager Wendy Stephanson said that while the City of Ottawa is engaged with the federal and provincial governments to secure funding but that the City has not entered any formal negotiations with the Ontario government at this time.

“It would be premature to speculate on details at this time,” the memo said. At the mayor’s request, city staff will provide council with an in-camera briefing about the potential financial and legal implications at the city council meeting on Feb. 12. 

Shortly after Ford’s announcement, Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie issued a press release outlining her plan for supporting public transit in Ottawa, which also includes uploading the rail system to the province, in addition to extending light rail to Kanata and Barrhaven, uploading Highway 174 to the province and building a dedicated bus lane to Rockland.

“It’s time that Ottawa gets its fair share,” said Tyler Watt, Ontario Liberal candidate for Nepean, in the release. “Nepean has grown significantly over the past few years, but our community hasn’t been met with the investments needed to keep up with demand. We need to expand our roads, including Prince of Wales, connect our community to the LRT system, and finally start building the Barnsdale interchange. We can no longer be overlooked by our provincial government.”

“The people of Ottawa deserve a government that shows up for them,” said Crombie. “My team has always had Ottawa’s back.”

In a statement posted to X, Sutcliffe said that uploading the LRT system to the provincial government is a “game-changer” for Ottawa.

“It is, quite simply, the single biggest move we could make to address the fairness issue, strengthen the city’s financial picture, and improve light rail and public transit,” he said. “This is a historic win for our city.”

In reaction to Crombie’s announcement, Sutcliffe said “the more people behind fairness for Ottawa, the better. Great to see the momentum building for Ottawa to get meaningful help for public transit.”

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The gas leak was caused by a nearby collision that was outside of the rail system, OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar said in a memo to media.

Ottawa Fire Services and Enbridge Gas responded to the incident, Amilcar said, and line 1 rail service was closed between St. Laurent and Blair stations. Buses were brought in to serve this route instead.

To complete the repairs, a lane closure of the Blair Road on-ramp to Highway No. 417 will be required, and Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) is working with Ottawa traffic services to minimize the impacts to local traffic.

The gas leak has now been stopped, so service has resumed safely, Amilcar said.

Repairs are being undertaken, heaters near the station that rely on the damaged line will not be operating, and staff will be monitoring the situation. 

Blair station service is open on one platform and customers travelling to and from Blair station will need to transfer trains at St. Laurent. 

Updates will continue to be shared over social media, text messages and station announcements, the memo said. OC Transpo personnel are also present at stations to assist customers.

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