VIA Rail network developments

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by acottawa

There are at least 5 or 6 reserves in the vicinity of that corridor.

But Urban_Sky just showed that all of them are a bit far from this corridor a few pages back...

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

But Urban_Sky just showed that all of them are a bit far from this corridor a few pages back...

Yup. Here was the relevant part of his post:

Originally Posted by Urban_Sky

The "Ontario First Nation Map" identifies 6 different First Nation communities East of Toronto, which are all shown with their borders on Google Maps (from West to East):
1. Mississaugas Of Scugog Island
2. Hiawatha First Nation
3. Curve Lake First Nation Indian Reserve No. 35
4. Alderville First Nation Reserve
5. Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
6. Akwesasne Reserve No. 15

I measure the minimum distance to the Havelock Sub or assumed HFR route (Ottawa - Smiths Falls Sub - Belleville Sub - Havelock Sub - Belleville Sub - Toronto) to each of these First Nations Communities as follows:

#1: 16 km north of Havelock Sub (measured from just west of Burketon Station)
#2: 12 km southeast of Havelock Sub (measured from Peterborough at N Monaghan Pkwy)
#3: 18 km north of Havelock Sub (measured from Peterborough at Armour Rd)
#4: 20 km southeast of Havelock Sub (measured from same location as #2)
#5: 31 km southeast of Havelock Sub (measured from Tweed)
#6: 33 km southeast of Alexandria Sub (measured near Maxville)

Note that #4 is traversed by the Kingston Sub (hence the current blockage), whereas #6 is less than 5 km away from the Kingston Sub. Therefore, the HFR route seems to be much "safer" than the Kingston Sub...

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

But Urban_Sky just showed that all of them are a bit far from this corridor a few pages back...

So your hypothesis is they are not willing to travel a few kms? Maybe.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by acottawa

So your hypothesis is they are not willing to travel a few kms? Maybe.

That’s why I said, “If they will go out of their way to protest on the HFR corridor, I admire them for their dedication.”

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

That’s why I said, “If they will go out of their way to protest on the HFR corridor, I admire them for their dedication.”

It is no further than the existing blockades are from their respective communities and probably much less distant than the closest walmart or crappy tire.

This is devastating for Via, nobody is going to want to book an advance ticket for anywhere they have to be.

[Truenorth00]

If they make a huge announcement about HFR at budget time it will now seem like a bypass effort.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

If they make a huge announcement about HFR at budget time it will now seem like a bypass effort.

I believe the plan is to fund it from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, not with public money, so it wouldn't need to be in the budget. Even if it were, I think most Canadians would support the idea of a bypass effort.

[Dengler Avenue]

What’s a bypass effort in this context? I sort of get it, but not completely.

[Gat-Train]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

That’s why I said, “If they will go out of their way to protest on the HFR corridor, I admire them for their dedication.”

It would be more admirable if everyone virtue-signalling against LNG pipelines stopped heating their houses with gas.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

It would be more admirable if everyone virtue-signalling against LNG pipelines stopped heating their houses with gas.

And those against petroleum pipelines stopped driving ICE Cars?

[JayBuoy]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

It would be more admirable if everyone virtue-signalling against LNG pipelines stopped heating their houses with gas.

"you must exit society in order to criticize it" said no honest person ever.

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

It would be more admirable if everyone virtue-signalling against LNG pipelines stopped heating their houses with gas.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

It would be more admirable if everyone virtue-signalling against LNG pipelines stopped heating their houses with gas.

Pipelines aside, we should indeed all stop heating our houses with gas. I am committed to not install another gas appliance in my home or rental property and buy efficient electric alternatives as replacements are required.

None of our individual actions will solve the climate crisis; but if we expect dramatic changes in society as a whole to save human inhabitability of this planet, we owe it to ourselves to do what we can and set intentions and take action where we control the decision to do so.

[lrt's friend]

It is not possible to affordably heat our homes electrically in Ontario. If we all switch, the cost will be driven even higher. Besides, not all electricity is generated from renewable sources.

Sorry, most people do not have the ability to choose higher cost options.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by gjhall

Pipelines aside, we should indeed all stop heating our houses with gas. I am committed to not install another gas appliance in my home or rental property and buy efficient electric alternatives as replacements are required.

None of our individual actions will solve the climate crisis; but if we expect dramatic changes in society as a whole to save human inhabitability of this planet, we owe it to ourselves to do what we can and set intentions and take action where we control the decision to do so.

We are getting way off topic here, but unless you plan to install a ground sourced heat pump (which is extraordinary expensive for a retrofit) switching to electric heat isn’t as green as you would think. Modern high efficiency gas furnaces are about 95% efficient, so the local gain in efficiency is minimal and Ontario’s electrical grid isn’t 100% green either. Sure it’s green during the night, but most people have their furnace turned down then. Your furnace is working hardest during in the morning, when you wake up and in the early evening, when you get home from work and electrical demand is highest then. As a result the natural gas peaker plants are on so any extra electricity you use will increase the load on those plants. Unlike your furnace, those plants range from 40-60% efficient, minus any loss on the transmission lines.

This is exactly opposite to EVs where the BEV is twice as efficient as an ICEV and the most EV charging is done at night, when demand is low and the peaker plants are off.

In warmer climates, where air sourced heat pumps are viable, that is a much better alternative. If you want to invest in any green appliance for your home, get a heat pump dryer.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by roger1818

We are getting way off topic here, but unless you plan to install a ground sourced heat pump (which is extraordinary expensive for a retrofit) switching to electric heat isn’t as green as you would think. Modern high efficiency gas furnaces are about 95% efficient, so the local gain in efficiency is minimal and Ontario’s electrical grid isn’t 100% green either. Sure it’s green during the night, but most people have their furnace turned down then. Your furnace is working hardest during in the morning, when you wake up and in the early evening, when you get home from work and electrical demand is highest then. As a result the natural gas peaker plants are on so any extra electricity you use will increase the load on those plants. Unlike your furnace, those plants range from 40-60% efficient, minus any loss on the transmission lines.

This is exactly opposite to EVs where the BEV is twice as efficient as an ICEV and the most EV charging is done at night, when demand is low and the peaker plants are off.

In warmer climates, where air sourced heat pumps are viable, that is a much better alternative. If you want to invest in any green appliance for your home, get a heat pump dryer.

Ontario uses hardly any gas in the winter in electricity production, usually just to make up for a lack of wind. Most of the gas usage is in the summer when there is no sun.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by roger1818

We are getting way off topic here, but unless you plan to install a ground sourced heat pump (which is extraordinary expensive for a retrofit) switching to electric heat isn’t as green as you would think. Modern high efficiency gas furnaces are about 95% efficient, so the local gain in efficiency is minimal and Ontario’s electrical grid isn’t 100% green either. Sure it’s green during the night, but most people have their furnace turned down then. Your furnace is working hardest during in the morning, when you wake up and in the early evening, when you get home from work and electrical demand is highest then. As a result the natural gas peaker plants are on so any extra electricity you use will increase the load on those plants. Unlike your furnace, those plants range from 40-60% efficient, minus any loss on the transmission lines.

This is exactly opposite to EVs where the BEV is twice as efficient as an ICEV and the most EV charging is done at night, when demand is low and the peaker plants are off.

In warmer climates, where air sourced heat pumps are viable, that is a much better alternative. If you want to invest in any green appliance for your home, get a heat pump dryer.

We are way off topic, but I need to point out that according to NRCan, Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pumps not only perform acceptably in Ottawa, they are more energy efficient than natural gas furnaces.

But yes, they are more costly to run due to the price of electricity vs natural gas in Ontario.

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-publi...r-source-heat-pump-canadian-centre/18813

[CityTech]

If you have electric heating, you're actually supposed to set your thermostat high during the night and low during the day, so that your place heats up at night when electricity is cheap and you coast on that all day when electricity is expensive.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

If you have electric heating, you're actually supposed to set your thermostat high during the night and low during the day, so that your place heats up at night when electricity is cheap and you coast on that all day when electricity is expensive.

Which is a terrible idea, considering nearly all studies point to cooler temperatures being better for sleep.

Also, unless your house is made of stone, there is little chance it could retain that kind of heat.

[rocketphish]

VIA restores some Ottawa-Toronto train trips

By: OBJ staff
Published: May 21, 2020 5:20pm EDT

Passenger demand is slowly starting to pick up as COVID-19 restrictions are eased, VIA Rail said Thursday as it announced it was restoring several train trips between Toronto and Ottawa.

Service between the two cities is currently limited to one trip in either direction, down from the 10 trips usually scheduled.

Starting June 3, VIA will adjust its schedule and run two train trips daily in either direction.

Service between Ottawa and Montreal will remain limited to one round-trip daily.

VIA Rail’s announcement comes several days after the head of the Ottawa airport said he was expecting a modest uptick in domestic flights next month.

The travel industry has been decimated over the last two months as governments restrict and discourage non-essential travel in a bid to control the spread of COVID-19.

Some 1.2 million passengers used the Via Rail station in 2018.


https://www.obj.ca/article/restores-some-ottawa-toronto-train-trips