MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via our website. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).
I grew up in Bracebridge, the heart of Muskoka.
It’s cottage country, always full of tourists and seasonal residents — but it’s actually remarkably difficult to get to. The drive from Toronto to Muskoka is long and full of bumper-to-bumper traffic — something that’s all too familiar to Torontonians, who, according to a recent Star article, spend approximately five days a year sitting in traffic.
This cottage traffic is the result of the complete lack of public transportation to and from Muskoka. The little Bracebridge train station has sat empty for the past decade, full of wasted potential.
A train to and from the city would do wonders for the overly congested highways, save people time and money, and be much more environmentally friendly than hundreds of cars idling for hours on the highway. As a university student, having a train to and from Muskoka would quite literally be thrilling, as currently, it’s looking like my parents will spend as much on gas, getting me to and from McMaster, as they do on my tuition.
We know the benefits of public transportation — it limits carbon emissions, it’s much more affordable than the current price of gas, and it makes our lives easier. Not having a train to and from Muskoka is a wasted opportunity, as it would benefit the lives of residents, cottagers, and visitors, as well as the local economy.
Canada needs to make better use of public transportation — especially trains — and the sooner, the better.
Molly O’Toole
Bracebridge
