St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston came away from last week’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference feeling confident the city will soon be linked to London via public transit.
Preston is seeking provincial funding for a pilot project and he says he is feeling “comfortable” after meeting with Associate Minister of Transportation Stan Cho.
In 2020, St. Thomas pitched the pilot project to the province seeking funding support for a bus link between the city and south London.
Under the original proposal, the three-year undertaking would see a Monday through Sunday service operating from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
But with the opening of the Amazon fulfillment centre north of Talbotville some time this year, Preston would like to alter the route to include a stop at the fulfillment centre.
When originally submitted, the city sought $975,000 from the province for the pilot project.
At the time, the province had approved funding for a regional service linking London with Strathroy-Caradoc and Sarnia.
So, following last week’s meeting with the Associate Minister of Transportation, Preston is feeling “very good.”
However getting approval for the project is only the beginning.
One piece of the puzzle remains missing.
What is Amazon bringing to the table as it looks to assemble a workforce that could number as high as 2,000 employees?
Written by Ian McCallum
