“[Genesee & Wyoming] announced the closure in early September, saying that it had not been able to secure $40 million in government funding to rehabilitate the 288-km line that runs between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. […] A spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development, and Mines said that the provincial government ‘provided almost a million dollars in interim funding to Huron Central Railway for maintenance’ in 2018. The rail-line also applied for provincial funding more recently and is awaiting a response. ‘Huron Central submitted an application for funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). The NOHFC is currently reviewing the application,’ said Alex Puddifant. ‘We continue to review transportation in the north and are identifying opportunities to develop a modern and sustainable transportation network across Northern Ontario. The review will explore ways to support Ontario’s rail freight, and rail manufacturing and repair operations in the north.’ It is unclear whether securing NOHFC funding is the ‘long-term commitment’ that Huron Central needs to qualify for the NTCF.”

“The Ontario government says it is spending $980,000 to keep a freight rail line running between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, made the announcement on Thursday. He says the money, from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, will go to the Huron Central Railway for continued operations of its line. […] Earlier this year, $800,000 was announced for the company under the previous Liberal government. That announcement came after the company threatened to shut down if it didn’t get $46 million in government funding to refurbish the tracks. Similar threats were made in 2009 by the company before it got $30 million in provincial and federal funding.”