Prime Minister Carney announces the largest investment in VIA Rail’s history

Thank you. Thank you very much, Steve, Minister McKinnon. Thank you, Patty, Minister Haidu, Marcus, Metsu, Michael. Thank you all. And let me thank first and foremost Uniform who are here with us today. [applause] Because, [applause] as you've gathered, when Canada looks to build, it looks to you. It's your skill, your dedication, your resilience that makes today possible. You know, we're standing here on the historic grounds of the Canadian Car and Foundry, better known as CAN Car. For more than a century, workers here have built what this country needs to move and connect. Railway cars, street cars, buses. As Marcus mentioned, in the darkest days of the Second World War, workers here built what the free world was counting on, the Hawker Hurricane, the fighter that helped win the Battle of Britain. More than 1,400 of them came off the floor of this plant. At peak production, 15 a week, built by nearly 5,000 Canadians, more than half of them women. That's what Thunder Bay does. When this country needs something built, we come here. You're the story of Canadian industry. Yeah. [applause] You can applaud for yourselves. [applause] Exactly. You're the story of Canadian industry, the spirit, ingenuity, and the people that carry our country forward. Building big, building fast, building Canadian. And as you sense and Canadians know, that strength is more important than ever because our country is being tested. Two weeks ago, we made the right decision to suspend our trade negotiations with the United States. We couldn't accept what they'd offered. We wouldn't give what they'd asked. As a result, the US has imposed new tariffs designed to hurt and divide us. Now, that's a miscalculation because Canadians will always take care of each other. [applause] And it's a miscalculation because we have everything we need to build the country we want. We have the reserves. We have the resilience. And we have the right plan. Fundamental to our plan is building what this country needs here at home with Canadian materials, Canadian ingenuity, and Canadian workers. So, we know we need more clean, reliable power. We've just launched the largest clean energy initiative in North American history. 23,000 jobs to build it. Enough power for every vehicle in Canada. is construction breeze glass construction Canada. So when we need new power, we go to Canada. When we need new ice breakers, we go to Canada. When we need new subway cars, we invest nearly a billion dollars into new cars for Toronto's line, too. And you're building them right here at Olston. Thank you. [applause] Right across Canada, everywhere across Canada, we need new ports, new mines, new energy corridors in just one year. Just one year we have referred 27 nation building initiatives to the new major projects office. What does that translate into? Half a trillion dollars in new private investment and the shovels are already in the ground at Darlington new nuclear at the contraur terminal at the port of Montreal at the new vulmon graphit mine in Quebec in the McKenzie highway in my native northwest territories. Crucially, as we're building, we are restoring our industrial might and capacity, reinforcing our factories, the supply chains, and building the talent that lets our country stand on its own. You know, for too long, we bought from abroad what we were more than capable of building right here at home. We're bringing that work back, and we're turbocharging it. Canada needs better, more reliable passenger rail. Our rail cars on our long distance and remote routes are more than 70 years old. They were built when the NHL had six teams. [laughter] Goalies wouldn't wear masks. The Leafs would win the cup. That's a long time ago. Those old cars, things are changing even for the Leafs. Even for the Leaf, those old cars have served our country well, but they're long overdue for retirement. It's time to build new ones, to build them here at home. [applause] >> [applause] >> And to that end, I am proud with my fellow colleagues to announce that the government of Canada is investing $4.7 billion to manufacture and maintain. [applause] So, we'll manufacture and maintain 313 passenger rail cars for Via Rails long-distance, regional, and remote fleet right here in Canada. For the first time in four decades, those cars will be produced and assembled and maintained in our country. Cars that used to be built in the United States will be built right here in Thunder Bay at Alam, Canada [applause] by the best workers in the world. [applause] generate shack compos. Shu service Canada. Consequent cars will be a tribute to Canadian talent, a showcase of our innovation, our expertise, and our industrial capacity. The construction of this fleet will directly support nearly 700 good jobs here in Ontario and in Quebec. And in line with our by Canadian policy, Olm will leverage and expand its extensive network of more than 900 Canadian suppliers to deliver this new fleet, maximizing the use of Canadian steel in structural assemblies, supports, and fabricated metal elements. It'll be Canadian electricians that install the wiring. Canadian machinists that will make the precision parts. Canadian welders will build the steel frames from Canadian carbon steel. [applause] And that work, as you know, reaches well beyond the factory floor into communities across our country. All told, this project will generate more than $1.6 billion in economic benefits, hundreds of good jobs, hundreds more down the supply chain, paychecks that stay here in Canada, and you're building something deeper. Because we know in Canada that rail is more than a means of transportation. It's part of our country's story. It's a thread that's always connected us. The iconic VIA service that runs between Toronto and Vancouver over four days and four nights covers 4,000 kilometers. Thus far, it's journeyed more than 150 million km, equal to almost 200 round trips to the moon. Every year, 750 L of maple syrup are consumed on board. [laughter] And on board, many young Canadians travel across this great country for the first time to witness its beauty, meet its people. There's no journey quite like it. You can fall asleep under the prairie sky and wake up to sunrise over the Rockies. As you know, it's called the Canadian. When I was governor of the Bank of Canada, we put the Canadian on the $10 bill because it represents the connections between us. And it's a great feat of engineering from Canada's past, joining the East and West by rail. And now we're here today because the Canadian will be made in Canada. [applause] [applause] Hold on. It's it's this is one of many VIA services that will have a new generation of passenger cars. Cars that are more energy efficient, better for the environment, more reliable, more comfortable. Engineered to run through Canada's most extreme temperatures so service is safe, dependable year round. Modern comfort, better accessibility. Cars that keep what people love. The sleepers, the full service dining, the panoramic views. Grades reserv. Traverse Canada. As Minister McKinnon, Steve mentioned, in addition to these long distance routes, we're protecting regional and remote services that are lifelines for many communities, including 165 First Nations. On some of these routes, the nearest essential service is a train ride away. It's how people fill their prescription, stock their kitchen, get care that they need. So, we're keeping the trains running from Winnipeg to Churchill, from Jasper to Prince Roupert, so patients can reach their doctor, students can get home, families stay together, and we're protecting a lifeline to communities that roads never reach to keep Canada connected. So today, we're here on truly historic ground. A place that built the rail cars that opened this country, the aircraft that helped defend freedom, and now will build the trains that will keep us connected for generations to come. History isn't something that's behind us. It's a foundation. Our history points our way forward. Years from now, a young Canadian will ride the Canadian built in this factory. A new car, all Canadian, built here at home. The timeless, beautiful landscapes rolling past. That tradition, that quintessentially Canadian experience lives on. And by renewing Thunder Bay's tradition of railc car manufacturing, we're strengthening the city that builds what this country needs in a time when Canada needs it the most. This is how we build Thunder Bay strong. We build Canada strong for all and forever.