8/13/2019 Ottawa rail passengers thrown off course by First
nations blockade
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SE OnLine
HD Ottawa rail passengers thrown off course by First nations
blockade
BY ilana belfer
WC 393 words
PD 30 December 2012
SN Postmedia Breaking News
SC CWNS
LA English
CY Copyright 2012 Canwest News Service
LP
OTTAWA - An Idle No More protest blocking VIA Rail's
Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor Sunday night meant
travellers hoping to get to their holiday destinations were idle
a lot longer than they wanted to be.
At around 6 p.m., things were chaotic at VIA's Fallowfield
station as would-be passengers waited for answers
and refunds. Lineups at the service counter stretched from one
end of the small station to the other.
TD
"People have been making phone calls, talking to people ... it's
hard to know what's going on - we're sort of
hearing bits and pieces ... It's confusion now for sure," said
Erin Thompson, who was supposed to be on a
train to Toronto.
Thompson lives in Ottawa and would have had a place to spend the
night. But, for others, it was more
complicated.
On Saturday, Jasmine Hartin was vacationing in Mexico. By Sunday
evening, she was far from relaxed.
"I flew home because there was a death in the family. I paid an
arm and a leg for my ticket," said Hartin, 22,
who's from Kingston where the wake was being held Sunday night.
She was trying to make it home for the
funeral on Monday.
The next train, at 9 the next morning, wouldn't get her there in
time for the 11 o'clock funeral.
"I can't have any closure because they're burying him tomorrow
so it's pretty bad," she said. "I am even
considering seeing if people want to pitch in on a cab."
"This isn't the way to raise awareness," added Ryan Mitz, 20,
who commiserated with Hartin about trying to
get home. He's from Toronto.
Around 45 minutes later, Via Rail staff announced the two
trains, now linked together, would be released outof Merickville at
7 p.m. and could be expected at 7:30 p.m. However, they said
refunds would still be
honoured and available.
The update was followed by a cheer, especially by Hartin: "There
is a God! I can get my closure," she said.
But Ryerson student Alex Kearns, 18, said the news was bitter
sweet: "Our parents have to pick us up later
now and they work tomorrow. It's a hassle."
Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
RE cana : Canada | ottaw : Ottawa | caon : Ontario | namz :
North America
