The Clean Train Coalition has been railing against Metrolinx for one year, and a party is planned to celebrate.
The coalition represents a number of communities along the Georgetown South rail corridor, including Parkdale, Liberty Village, the Brockton Triangle, the Junction and Weston. Metrolinx and the Province of Ontario are working to expand this corridor to add new rail service between Union station and Pearson International Airport and plans to run about 400 trains a day along the corridor.Out of concern over this expansion, the Clean Train Coalition was initiated by the neighbourhood association in Brockton, just east of the rail tracks, south of Dundas Street West between Lansdowne Avenue and Dufferin Street."All the neighbourhoods had already tweaked to the issue and were meeting around it," said Keith Brooks with the Clean Train Coalition. "But it really was the group from Brockton that said, 'Hey, we are going to reach out to these other communities and come together as the Clean Train Coalition.'"The coalition has concerns about the health and well-being of residents, the environment and the threat to neighbourhood vitality as a result of the corridor expansion, and the inaccessibility of this new infrastructure for neighbourhoods adjacent to the corridor.The coalition has, for the past year, waged a war against the use of diesel trains along this corridor, protesting, holding meetings and letter-writing campaigns."This movement is still building momentum and we are being heard," Brooks said. "We are going to keep pushing."The anniversary celebration, dubbed "Railbender", is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar at 1214 Queen St. W.There will be music by the Kitgut Stringband, Rob Joy, Michael Johnston and The Gentlemen Collars and remarks will be made by Mayor David Miller."The goal of this is to thank everyone for their support, to update people on the progress for the line and the Clean Train Coalition as well and also to update people on our plans going forward," Brooks said.People who are interested in becoming involved with the Clean Train Coalition can also find information on how to volunteer.The coalition will also solicit feedback on their plans and tactics for the future."We are a grassroots organization and we want to make sure we are doing things that are in keeping with what are supporters would like," Brooks said.