Ottawa mayor, ex-head of OC Transpo among those set to testify at LRT public inquiry

The commission investigating the many breakdowns onOttawa's Confederation Line has called 40witnesses to testify at the public inquiry hearings next month, including a who's who of city hall players past and present.

Lawyers with the Ottawa Light Rail Commission, which was established last fall by the Progressive Conservative government, have been interviewing many people involved in the LRT over recent weeks.

Late Wednesday, just before a pair of public meetings were to begin, the commissionreleased the draft list of those being asked to give testimony from June 13 to July 8 when hearings are held at a courtroom at theUniversity of Ottawa.

• LRT inquiry starts this week by hearing from the public

Mayor Jim Watson and other sitting council members, including transit commission chair Allan Hubley, Somerset ward Coun. Catherine McKenney, and Capital ward's Shawn Menardare on thatlist.

Others set to testify include many of the city staff members and Rideau Transit Group (RTG) executives who have been grilled about the train's many problems since opening day in September 2019 including two derailments,flat wheels, cracked wheels, arcing flashes on its overhead electrical system, jammeddoorsand more.

That list includes former transportation general manager John Manconi, city manager Steve Kanellakos, former RTG CEO Peter Lauch, and current consortium executives Mario Guerra and Nicolas Truchon.

The provincial government gave the commission a broad mandate, which includes looking at thedecisions that led to the procurement for the first stage of light rail more than a decade ago.

Past city staff also asked to speak

That contractwas approvedby city council in December 2012, so the witness list also includes a number of former high-ranking city employees, including former rail director John Jensen, former treasurer Marian Simulik, and former deputy city manager Nancy Schepers.

Members of the public will also hear the perspectives of employees of Infrastructure Ontario, which oversaw the procurement of Stage 1 LRT, as well as train builder Alstom and consultant STV, among others.

In addition to the testimony, the commission has been provided with more than half a million documents from the City of Ottawa alone, not to mention documents from other parties.

Justice William Hourigan, commissioner of this investigation into the technical and commercial issues that led to the Confederation Line's breakdowns, is to deliver his findings and recommendationsby Aug. 31, or by Nov. 30 if given an extension by Ontario'sMinister of Transportation.