Despite going quiet for the past several months, the Board of the Friends has continued its work, with one meeting per month. It is working on a new membership package and on a plan to sound out the needs of the community in Wakefield with respect to the steam train.  Discussions with the Centre Local de Développement have been positive, but action will have to wait for a few months to allow the CLD to handle its current workload.

            The membership plan has been delayed, due to a slowdown in negotiations with the HCWR over privileges for members, but this should restart in late spring.  Again, assistance from the CLD will be sought for the association's development.

            The draft of the feasibility report on the New Chelsea Station proposal has been deposited and our source tells us that it is guardedly optimistic, so we shall see later this spring, once again.  The Board of the Friends and Commerce Chelsea has had briefings but without too much detail, as the draft is but a draft.  It is currently in the hands of the

Community Development people (CEDEC) and the private-sector station proponents.

            The Friends have been promoting the future use of the Chaudière lands vacated by the old E.B. Eddy plant, hopefully as a site for at least the railway portion of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology.  Sources close to the National Capital Commission have informed us that we should first promote the acquisition of the lands in question (on both sides of the Ottawa River) and then push for the specific use that we propose.

            There continues to be a partly-public, partly underground movement for a commuter train from Wakefield to the city.  This should be viewed as a medium-term prospect.  A survey by the Low Down NEWS showed a majority of respondents to be in favour of the commuter train.  This should not be an unrealistic desire; - very concrete plans to revive the Ottawa Central Railway across Renfrew and Pontiac Counties and to provide a commuter train on it are well underway (Transport Pontiac/Renfrew with support of the area MPS, MNA and MPP).

            Meanwhile the project to extend the Rapibus through the current HCWR workshop-station area in Hull has been reduced to a short branch a few hundred metres long from Laman Jct. to Boulevard. des Carrières - rue Jean-Proulx, well short of the HCWR depot (phew!).

            The Société de Transports de l’Outaouais (STO) is busy ripping up Québec-Gatineau track in the Montcalm Street area, officially to rebuild it 5 metres away to allow room for the Rapibus right-of-way.  Vigilance will be required to ensure this vital if unused rail link is restored and maintained.  The STO has already been warned by Transports Québec not to create a break in the line, so we have allies in Québec (City) an Informed Source tells us.  There have been a number of interventions to get the City of Ottawa not to remove the switch at Bayview leading to this line over the Prince of Wales Bridge. 

            With President John Trent expected soon back from Spain, a more active season of work for the Friends of the Steam Train is in prospect.