City Council as Shareholder of GJR

5:16Okay everyone, I'd like to call the meeting to order for us sitting as the shareholder of GJR.

5:27And is there any disclosure of pecuniary interest or any general nature thereof for

5:32this agenda item in front of us? Okay, hearing and seeing none, I'll consider that matter closed.

5:40We do have minutes from the Open City Council as shareholder of GJR meetings from June 14th,

5:472023 to be confirmed as recorded and without being read. Would someone be willing to move those

5:53minutes for me? Downer and alt. Any questions or comments on those? Hearing and seeing none,

6:00I'll call the vote. Is anyone against the minutes? Nobody? That is unanimous. Thank you.

6:08Thank you. And now we have kind of a ditto moment from the previous one. We have

6:17the recommendation for the acting director and CEO appointment. So exactly what we did,

6:25but instead of it saying GMAGI, it's for the GJR portion. Hold on. Is that the right one?

6:39Okay, it's the same one as last time. It's just that it says wealth junction right away.

6:43Okay, would someone be willing to move those two? So Jane Holmes, thank you,

6:47Councillor Billings. Thank you, Councillor Busuttil. Okay, anything on that? Wouldn't it be

6:54interesting if we didn't vote this one in? So you are for GMAGI, but not this one. All right,

6:59anyone against this one? Nobody? Okay, you're in. There you go. That's unanimous. And now we are at

7:05the Gualt Junction Railway 2023 annual report. We do have a presentation and we do have one

7:13delegation as well. So I'll turn it over to Jane Holmes. So good afternoon, Mayor and Council. So

7:22tonight on behalf, this afternoon, on behalf of Gualt Junction Railway Board of Directors,

7:27it is my pleasure to present the 2023 Gualt Junction Railway Limited annual report.

7:32Throughout 2023, the Gualt Junction Railway GJR for short continued its focus on safety,

7:38fiscal responsibility, service delivery, as well as being a great community partner

7:43aligned with the priorities of the city's strategic plan. Our goal is to provide easy,

7:49safe and accessible movement of goods along almost 40 kilometers of track to connect Gualt's economy

7:55to neighboring regions. We do this by always innovating, providing service excellence to our

8:02customers and supporting our community. I will now share a few snapshots from 2023 with the full

8:10date details available in the annual report you received as part of your agenda package.

8:16Last year, GJR surpassed its 2022 record and revenues and railcar volumes. The GJR's growth

8:23and success runs parallel with its customers so as they grow, we grow. Our customers handle a

8:29diverse portfolio of goods which are then shipped to various customers in and around Guel for final

8:34production. Some of these items include corn to make chips, malt to brew beer, wheat, soy beans,

8:42and rice to produce animal feed. And as you can see, a wide variety of products that support our

8:48businesses. With effective management and relationship building with our customers, it is forecasted

8:54that GJR will continue this upward growth trend in the years to come. GJR continually

9:00reinvest in our capital infrastructure. This is necessary to maintain our competitive service,

9:05ensure compliance with legislative requirements and to operate safely and efficiently.

9:12Some of those improvements include signal equipment, rail, switch, and track upgrades, and at-grade

9:18road crossings. An example would be the upgraded crossings at Speedvale and Bulloch,

9:23which now have crossing gates that activate upon the arrival of a train.

9:27Continued cleanup of scrap railway ties and initiating replacements to maintain GJR's

9:32Class II operations. And continued ballasting and servicing to maintain standards of safety

9:39to provide maximum stability, performance, and extending the life cycle of the track components.

9:45In 2023, GJR and CN entered into a lease land lease agreement which allowed for GJR to construct

9:53a siding extension along Edinburgh Road to accommodate storage for 10 additional rail cars.

9:58GJR and CN continue to work together to construct additional tracks at rail serviceable areas.

10:05It is also important to mention GJR's efforts and commitment to the environment.

10:09This includes the replacement of 3,200 ties and the disposal of 272 tons of ties that date back

10:16to the CP lease. These ties were recycled in Quebec at one of two approved code generation

10:21facilities in Canada, where they are then used for energy production, doing our part towards a

10:26greener, sustainable, and accountable future. GJR completed the first of three phases of a 14-foot

10:34track lineover located between Woodlawn Road and End of Track. The two remaining phases are to be

10:41completed by summer 2025. And this reduces the potential for high maintenance costs in the

10:47future and improves sight line visibility, making way for potential rail trail connection.

10:52And lastly, GJR took ownership of two previously owned Ontario, Southland, Railway Locomotive,

10:58and Crew Buildings built on GJR lands located in the Campbellford Yard. During 2023,

11:07GJR exceeded both 2022 results and the expectations laid out in the 2023 budget.

11:13The railway earned a net comprehensive income of $2.1 million, which is $470,000 greater than

11:202022. With higher than expected revenues, we are pleased to declare a $210,000 dividend to the

11:27city of Guelph for 2023. And we expect to continue to see an increase in economic value as GJR

11:34reinvests in its infrastructure. Not only does this benefit the railway, but is also good news

11:39for Guelph businesses that rely on our service for delivery of their products. And it is also good

11:44for our city as a whole. As previously mentioned, the purchase of the Locomotive and Crew Buildings

11:52at the Campbellford Yard will generate an additional source of lease revenue for GJR.

11:57GEXR, the current railway operator, is expected to occupy both buildings and align it with their

12:05long term operating lease. And this will allow their Locomotive repairs to be relocated to a

12:10centralized area and will not have to remain idling outdoors during the cold season, which in turn

12:15will help reduce CO2 emissions. GJR supports the Powering Our Future pillar of the City

12:25Strategic Plan with a focus on helping businesses and adding value to the community.

12:31In 2023, Genesee in Wyoming, Canada, which includes GEXR, became a great place to work

12:38at the GJR certified company. In addition, their repair facility located in Hamilton,

12:43the President's Award, and the Railway of the Year Award. PNR Railworks continues to perform

12:49routine track and signal maintenance for GJR. And this year, PNR received their core certification,

12:56which stands for Certificate of Recognition. This is a program that recognizes employers who

13:00implement and maintain an effective occupational health and safety management system. This also

13:07aligns with the City's objective to request that our contractors be core certified in the future.

13:13GJR's direct oversight over maintenance has continued to result in improved safety,

13:18increased efficiency, and lower cost of operations while continuing to grow.

13:25GJR supports wealth businesses to become future ready and achieves this by providing excellent

13:31service to existing and future customers. In 2024, GJR will be completing an additional

13:37siding at Edinburgh Road, which will allow for the storage of 16 railcars in addition to the 10

13:43in 2023 to accommodate railcar growth with CN. GJR will also be constructing an additional

13:50siding at the Coffman Yard located south of York Road to accommodate the increased railcar

13:55traffic and business growth. This is a result of one of GJR's biggest customers securing a

14:00guaranteed car volumes contract with Cargill. GJR looks to add additional tracks at Campbell

14:07For Yard, which will allow for more efficient railcar management with CP. And the last point

14:13on this slide is key. Monitoring railcar traffic on our line is a priority, with an upward trend

14:19in railcar numbers, it is good news for GJR and the economy it supports. However, we also need to

14:25consider how that growth can contribute to traffic congestion as the population levels increase over

14:31the GJR crossings. We continue to work to refine that fine balance to meet the needs of both the

14:37businesses and the residents of wealth. Always planning for the future with a focus on communication

14:45and accountability, the GJR also understands its role as a community partner. This includes working

14:51cross-functionally with other city departments and community stakeholders to meet strategic goals.

14:56The GJR continues to work with engineering and transportation, parks,

15:01planning, community groups, and private developers to facilitate and encourage a rail with trail

15:05system, including the TransCanada rail system and other multi-use pathways that run along the GJR

15:12right of way. There are ongoing discussions with our park staff and the Guelph Hiking Trail Club

15:18regarding trail identification and safe connections near and along the railway. This would be down

15:24while retaining land to be utilized for future GJR growth and opportunities. Planning is currently

15:30underway for the 6167 locomotive trail connection at John Gall Park. The GJR corridor between Woodlawn

15:38and Woolwich is currently in the trail design process with our parks department and GJR regularly

15:43collaborates with community stakeholders on the progress of this project. GJR is also reviewing

15:50the Guelph Innovation District lands for possible trail connections through the Fusion Homes Development

15:55Property. Communication between GJR, Parks, and Legal Services is ongoing as the city plans for

16:02growth and possible expansion of its trail systems in the future. Railway safety and awareness is

16:09important to GJR as other railways such as CN and Metrolinx also operate frequently within city limits.

16:15The GJR takes part in the City of Guelph's annual emergency exercise which involves many key players

16:21to utilize the Emergency Operations Center for any catastrophic incidents. It's important to recognize

16:30the work of other city teams that contribute to the good news story of GJR. Under the City of Guelph

16:35and the GJR's shared services agreement, the legal and finance departments both contribute to the

16:40railway success. Economic development and tourism, parks, engineering, and transportation also contribute

16:46to the success of GJR. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I appreciate everyone's efforts in such

16:52a great year. In closing, the Guelph Junction Railway is an economically strong, safe, and resilient

16:58asset for the City of Guelph. And looking ahead, we will continue to find safe and innovative ways

17:04to keep pace with the changing market demands as we foster new economic growth in Guelph

17:09and the surrounding communities as well as continuing to be a strong community partner.

17:15That Mr. Mayor, I'll turn it back to you.

17:17Great, thank you so much Jane. We do have one delegation. So John Fisher is in the front row.

17:26Thanks for coming down John. And I will turn it over to you as soon as you're up to the mic.

17:32It's no more than five minutes. You'll hear the chime at four minutes, 30 seconds to give you a

17:3630 second warning. Okay, go for it. Okay, thank you. Mr. Mayor, shareholders, GJR CEO, Board of

17:44Directors, City staff, and the public watching. My name is John Fisher. I'm the past president

17:50of Guelph Hiking Trail Club. Club is close to 500 members. I'm delegating on behalf of the club and

17:57the GJG Guelph Trailway. This is the fourth time I've delegated at the GJR shareholders meeting.

18:05My concerns have been the GJR governance structure and a corporate focus that does not include community

18:11benefit in its mandate. The governance structure has not changed, although I sense some discomfort

18:18with an operating style that allows the corporation to operate without the checks and balances that

18:24would be required by any other city department. I can see that there have been actions and efforts

18:31to reflect a more community-minded outlook, but GJR continues to prioritize commercial opportunities

18:39at the expense of community benefit considerations. But credit to GJR and its management team for

18:47another excellent year. They are clearly effective in maximizing the commercial side of the corporation.

18:55Also, where there's no potential for commercial opportunity, GJR does work collaboratively to

19:01assist in infrastructure changes that impact the public good, such as the Woolwich to Woodlawn

19:07Trail that will use the GJR rail corridor. But regarding the GJG trail, the statements on page

19:1510 of the annual report under the Business Development concerned me. This section of the

19:21report states, this line over will create additional opportunities such as potential trail network

19:28or additional rail sightings. And I worry that the desire to accommodate private business will

19:35again come at the expense of the public good. In addition, although there is a section on page

19:4216 of the report under trail connectivity, which references GJG and says GJR remains an active

19:50stakeholder in this community-led city-supported project, and the community partner slide, which

19:57reinforce that statement, the statement still concerns me. Being an active stakeholder and

20:04participant falls far short of a full-throated commitment by GJR to work with the community

20:12and play a leadership role to make the GJG trail a reality. Last November,

20:20Council approved a motion to consider a community-led city-supported approach to building a trail to

20:26bridge the gap between Woodlawn and Silver Creek. The community has been hard at work mobilizing

20:32allies, applying for grants, and working with the city on a project charter. Just last week,

20:39a field survey was conducted by one of our partners, which we will use collaboratively

20:44to plot the recommended trail route. Frankly, it has not been easy working with GJR as the

20:53corporation has been guarded in sharing information that will contribute to developing the trail route.

21:00We acknowledge our responsibility as part of this process, but the fact is this trailway cannot

21:06become a reality without the full cooperation, support, and leadership of GJR. We must work

21:15together if we are to bridge the GJG gap. As shareholders and council members, many of you

21:22supported this project openly and behind the scenes. Bridging the gap is a feature of numerous

21:29master plans and strategic plans which Council has supported. Supporting the commercial focus

21:36of GJR and developing the GJR corridor as a community asset are not in conflict. The Macdonald

21:45Speedvale Railway Trail corridor demonstrates the value of a shared GJR corridor to the community.

21:54We are shareholders and council for support by encouraging GJR to actively work with the community

22:02to create the GJG Gualt Trailway and maximize a city asset that contributes financially to the city,

22:11but also can have an outstanding impact on the community's well-being. Thank you.

22:19I did add in the correspondence there is a section on the dividend, and I would urge you just to look

22:28at that. I am suggesting that similar to the MAT tax, Council may like to consider setting up a

22:36special Rails with Trails Reserve fund that the dividend goes to. Okay, thank you. I appreciate

22:44that. Okay. Is there any questions for the delegation at this time? All right, Councillor Alts.

22:51Thank you very much, Mayor Guthrie. Just shutting off my camera first.

22:56Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. I'm a bit slightly concerned and don't take

23:05effects at this, but I'm a bit concerned about the diminishing of the commercial aspects of the GJR.

23:12I know that you acknowledge that it's necessary, but my problem is that because I support the G to

23:20G Trail and the completion of it, I do not see how the G to G Trail could actually be accomplished

23:29without developing the commercial viability of the GJR as well. I was just wondering if you could

23:37comment on that because I will ask staff similar questions. I'm not sure if I exactly understood

23:46the question. The GJR corridor between the junction and the bump stop is wide enough

23:57to accommodate a trail as well as accommodate commercial businesses. It's a little more difficult

24:07from the junction down to Woodlawn and we're going to need to work very closely with GJR on that.

24:16But again, the original intent was that that corridor wherever possible

24:25should be used for the potential trail. And like I said on page 10, I'm a little bit worried that

24:36there may be a tendency to prioritize, in this case it happens to be at Catina,

24:43putting a siding in there instead of following a rail trail, which again, if that is a possibility,

24:56it needs to be discussed. It's not something that just goes ahead and we just say, okay, commercial,

25:02you know, I've got a customer, customer wants me to put a siding in, I'm doing it. So that's

25:08my point really. Thank you because honestly, no disrespect to you. It sounded like you were actually

25:16overly critical of the commercial expansion of G to G, of the Guelph Junction Railway. And I was

25:24having some problems with that. I don't see how the G to G could be accomplished without recognizing

25:31the viability of GJR as a city. Okay, thank you. Just I do have another question from

25:44Councillor Busuttil and I'm only saying this not because I have no idea what you're about to ask, but

25:49we are sitting as shareholders. So this is very much a chairlike reminder. We do not need to go

25:56down a trail, no pun intended, of questions in regards to like minute details around trail issues,

26:04but from a governance standpoint, we need to stay higher than that. Okay, so sorry, Councillor Busuttil.

26:11I didn't say that because I was suggesting that you were about to ask any of that. It's just a

26:14reminder to all of us. Go right ahead. No, and thank you for that and through you, Mayor. My question

26:20was about governance. I think it was in your correspondence that you were critical about

26:25the Guelph Junction Railways governance and can you, because it's very clear to me what the mandate is

26:33under the city, what exactly you mean in terms of the governance? Well, I've been critical

26:42right from the outset about the governments because being the CEO of GJR and the responsibilities of

26:51being CEO of GJR are different than the responsibilities of the CAO of the city. And

27:02I don't know how you can do both jobs. We've often been in this meeting. We've heard about

27:07changing hats and stuff like that. I remember Scott Stewart, but you can't really be effective

27:14both. And so things like, I mean, there was some talk about it here about traffic and stuff like

27:23that about the, because of the commercial additions, there's this extra traffic concerns, like on

27:33Woodland, for example, where we added sightings. How is that impacting? And that should be something

27:39that the CAO responsible for the city should worry about. If I'm CEO of GJR, I might say

27:49that's the way I want it to go. That's the commercial interest that I'm responsible for.

27:54I don't know how you can do both jobs effectively. And the fact that we have laid all of the roles

28:04in the city and we just duplicated them on GJR, I don't think it's appropriate.

28:13Thank you. That's all. All right. No further questions. Thank you very much.

28:19Just before I go to questions for our staff, I just want to make sure that everyone was aware

28:25earlier today. We did get a little bit, maybe a mix up of delegation, but Cindy McClain sent all

28:34of us an email who is also a member of trying to get the GDG trail going and just encouraging us to

28:43consider that both within the different hats that we wear. She has come to the meeting today.

28:48Just want to acknowledge that. So thank you very much. And so just making sure that everyone is

28:54aware of that email and the presentation through that email that she outlined for us.

29:00Okay. With that, though, I'll turn it to Councillor Downer first and then Alt-second.

29:06Thank you. Through you, Mr. Mayor. So first I want to congratulate GJR on a great year.

29:13And also a number of us Councillors went on a fabulous tour a couple of weeks ago

29:20where we really got to see how GJR was functioning. We got to meet a couple of businesses and

29:26and how reliant they were on GJR and how they were able to expand in our community because of

29:33the cooperation and the relationship that they have with GJR. So congratulations on all of that.

29:39So I really appreciate that. There's no, I have no questions specifically about that, but maybe some

29:47of the issues that Mr. Fisher raised, but not from a detailed level. So they cover off. So first

29:55I want to talk to you, through you, Mr. Mayor, to Deputy CEO Holmes around governance. Could you

30:03just tell me what that governance is now? So it's the CAO, just go through that and the reporting

30:11and how this is different or isn't different from a city department? Because I know, like, we're

30:17operating as a shareholder here and it's a difference. So what is that nuance for me? Thank you.

30:23Through the chair to Councillor Downer. So GJR does report in through a board of which this

30:28position is the director of. It's a little bit different than some of the other boards where

30:35where it does operate at arm's length, but it does report in differently through the city. So

30:42GJR reports in through our GM of economic development and tourism, which in turn reports to the CAO.

30:49So if there is some more oversight that as you might typically see in a, in any other

30:58department in the city, but there is that added element of it having being arms length

31:04reporting to a board. So if there are expansions like we've just heard, then

31:10does that come into the city for to you and Mr. Grudrum for like approval and oversight?

31:20It actually goes to the board for through the chair to Councillor Downer. It goes to the

31:24board for approval, but there are discussions at a city level between between us before it goes

31:30to get presented toward to the board. So what at any time in that process would somebody like the

31:37like like Mr. Matthews be consulted because there's an issue of trails is which which is part of our

31:43trails master plan. So is that kind of coordination happening? Through the chair to Councillor Downer.

31:48Yes, not only through Mr. Matthews and parks, but also if we have any, when we're talking about

31:55traffic for instance, our engineering transportation department. So the great thing about how it's

32:00set up is that there is access to other departments with that expertise in the city that GJR can

32:05leverage. So if we, like when I, a number of years ago, there was an actual, there was a board that

32:12was different. It was a, there was community members and then there was and a couple of councillors

32:20on the board and then we moved into this other model and I'm not quite sure why, I can't remember

32:26the exact reason why we did, but I'm sure there was some rationale. So is there an opportunity and

32:32it may not be now, it may actually be when a new CAO comes on board to sort of review that governance

32:40or like I would like to have that discussion at some time. Not that there's anything wrong. We've

32:44had a very successful year. Like, you know, but you know, is there an opportunity to sort of compare

32:49those models or is there a different model at some point? Through the chair to Councillor Downer. So

32:56I think it's always best practice to do an examination of how you're set up to make sure

33:01that it's as effective as it can possibly be. I echo your sentiments in terms of sometimes

33:07when you do those reviews, it's based on you're trying to fix an issue. I think we can agree that

33:12GJR has been very successful and is actually forecasting that we're going to be successful

33:17as we go on. Not only commercially, but I will say over the last few years, as Mr. Fisher mentioned,

33:27very much involved in terms of our community involvement, how we can balance that commercial

33:34success with also making sure that we are a good community partner. So absolutely, I would suggest

33:41as you have Councillor Downer that perhaps that's something for when the permanent CAO comes on

33:46board, something that they can look at for future. Okay. And what about, so the vision, the mission,

33:52and the values and the mandate and that, like, you know, you look through it and it is, it's about

33:56the commercial viability of GJR, which is important, but a few years ago we moved motion saying that

34:03we wanted to talk about this community benefit thing, like we sort of moving into, well, let's be

34:08aware of this whole, the trail issue and the importance to our community. Is there,

34:15when are these strategic directions and the mission and that reviewed and is there an

34:22opportunity at any time to start incorporating those into there? Who gets, like, who, like, when we

34:30do these types of things as a council, as a council, we engage with the community on that,

34:38but I don't know that GJR does or should they or what, so what happens when that type of work

34:44is being done for GJR? Through the Mayor to Councillor Downer. So in terms of our mandate,

34:53of course, that would have to be, we would do an engagement process in order to be able to

35:00come up with a mandate that is refreshed. Again, I wouldn't suggest doing that at this point.

35:06Maybe that's a good time when we're looking at the, good time to do that when we're looking

35:10at the board structure. But I will say that even if it's not written in there verbatim, I think that

35:17you can see and certainly we've made the effort at GJR to make sure that we are being a good

35:22community partner. We have heard some of those delegations over the last four years and we've

35:29taken those to heart. And, you know, when GJR is successful, that is when we're able to hand over

35:38a dividend that is more valuable to the city. That is money that the city can use for whatever

35:45community good they decide. So I think there's a balance between making sure that we are commercially

35:52successful so we can give the city a better dividend, but also making sure that we're working

35:57with the community to make sure that we're not at odds with building a community that we can all

36:01be proud of. Okay, so those are discussions I'm going to want to have with the new CAO when it

36:07comes in. But speaking of dividends, so last year there was a motion for a report back on the

36:15possibility of using the whole of the dividend, part of it to go back into trails that are connected

36:22with the rail system. I don't recall seeing that. Is that a possibility for that still and it was a

36:29multi-year budget? Is there still a possibility of that coming in? It may have been there. I missed

36:34it, but I think it would be still a good discussion to have.

36:39A few, Chair, Guthrie to Councillor Downer. Currently the dividend flows into infrastructure

36:47renewal reserve and it's captured for the benefit of all infrastructure considerations.

36:54We would be cautious to council or to create another reserve specifically purposely

37:02felt for this. We manage about 90 reserves in total and we feel that the interests of this

37:07particular topic could be adequately handled within the infrastructure reserve.

37:13Okay, but the direction was last year that that that would be reported to council and I don't recall

37:20seeing a report on that. The shareholder asked for that when the dividend comes at the multi-year

37:27budget time to have a report on that. So there wasn't an opportunity for it even to be discussed.

37:34Not that I need to discuss that tonight because the dividend is a dividend, right?

37:38But can we realize that I think that's an outstanding, I feel that that's an outstanding

37:44motion that didn't happen last year. Yeah, so maybe I'm going to direct you, Mr.

37:51because you're a budget to look at it. Okay, so if that if that motion could be realized,

38:02I'd be referred to then you some I'm just and it just verbally here. I don't need a motion or

38:07anything, but if you can consider that when you're having your discussions. Okay, thank you.

38:14Okay, those are my questions. Great, thank you, Councillor Allt, please.

38:20Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, through you to to staff either to acting CAO Holmes or

38:28Deputy CAO, Deputy CAO Lee. I appreciate the statements about the Guelph Junction Railway

38:37being a community partner and I heard from Mr. Fisher and it has always raised a question for

38:43me on averages is the railway more do we weigh more heavily toward an economic investment or

38:52social investment, which is the railway? Through the through the mayor to Council,

39:02whenever we're looking at capital investments or new infrastructure opportunities, whenever we're

39:10having discussions with stakeholders about new opportunities, I think each situation is just

39:17a little bit different and unique. So we would we would we would take all that information,

39:24make sure that we have a good business case that would balance the economic

39:32to make sure that we're balancing the the commercial success of GJR versus the community

39:38benefits. So it's not one or the other, we don't weigh one more than the other. I think,

39:42Councillor Allt, we look at situations as they come up and try to get the best the best value

39:50out of what that opportunity might be and it's not necessarily monetarily, it's sometimes more

39:56value to the community to do something that perhaps is not found monetarily. If that makes

40:03thank you. I do know that I believe raise the issue of sightings might actually impede one of the

40:11social issues, but we can carry that on later on. The other question that I have and this is the only

40:17opportunity that I really have to ask these questions for the community to interact with

40:22Guap Junction Railway on anything that that is similar to the the G2G trail. What is the best

40:30approach for them and is it similar to that the approach that we would take with our commercial

40:37operations? Through the chair, I guess the the model that we've been following now is as you've

40:53seen yourself that we've established is through Gene Matthews as the kind of the staff contact on

40:59the trail side or any of the park side. So he's the single point of contact at the city for these

41:04trail user groups and then he bring in myself and less as as required. So it's very you know

41:12it follows along that project charter that has recently been developed for this G2G connection.

41:19Which raises a question similar to Councillor Downers which I think might all are in some

41:24senses. The governance structure is perhaps a bit of a concern moving forward and I have asked

41:32staff in the past whether in fact we might be better off with a structure similar to the Elliott

41:38or whether treating GJR as a department is the best approach. I heard you say that we actually

41:47do have interaction on issues like trails with more than one department parks and GJR. I was

41:54wondering Mr. Daly or Ms. Holmes about the potential to review as as did Councillor Downer

42:01and what are the advantages of leaving it as a department versus changing our governance structure.

42:10Through the through the chair to Councillor Alts as I stated earlier even though the GJR

42:15sits as a as a separate board the reporting structure it does sit in within economic

42:23development and tourism. So through that and as Mr. Goodger mentioned his connection with Gene Matthews

42:31for trail connections and through those discussions there is access to all the different departments

42:37of the city and we support the GJR when they come to ask questions whether it be about traffic,

42:43whether it be about setbacks, whether it be about trails. So we're there as a city as a whole to

42:51support the GJR not only being a community partner but also in their commercial success as well. So

42:59I would say that's working seems to be working really well for us but as as we were talking about

43:05with Councillor Downer it's always good practice to to be able to look at your governance structure

43:10to make sure that is it the best structure we can have. Things have changed over the last few years

43:16certainly after COVID certainly the business is growing so it probably does deserve just a

43:21second look to see if the structure that we have now does make sense as we go forward.

43:28And thank you very much for that. Just last points Mr. Mayor just to some commendations for

43:34GJR. I appreciate the efforts made to to improve traffic safety in the areas that GJR is operating

43:43on and from Mr. Helmut Slyzarenko in Puslinch. Kudos for the water provided in the Puslinch Aramasa

43:51area in case there ever is a situation that requires an immediate fire being doused. He points

43:58out the whistles are still too loud but it's getting better and truly appreciates the cleaning up

44:04of the the ties that has occurred and I think this is all great community relations.

44:12Thank you. Is there any other Councillor O'Rourke please?

44:16Thanks Mayor Guthrie. So Councillor Allt raised one of the points I wanted to raise being close to

44:22the arco crossing. Really appreciate that road motion detector system now that reduces the number

44:30of bells and also the cleaning up of the ties is really significant. So I was curious whether you

44:35also provide the same report whether in writing or in person to Puslinch or to the County of Wellington.

44:45Through the chair to Councillor O'Rourke. So not officially but I do have quarterly meetings with

44:51the acting CAO over at Puslinch and we one of our standing items is the GJR so we're able to

45:00because there's an interface there we're able to discuss anything that might come up. If any

45:07issues come up the Puslinch has that we can chase I do that through Mr. Gudrim and through the GJR.

45:14So there's lots of contact there in terms of keeping on top of any issues that might come up

45:18with the Puslinch or any of our other neighboring municipalities. Great it certainly sounds like

45:23a lot of those have been addressed and are being addressed. Through Mayor Guthrie I just want to

45:28put a different lens on the conversation and that's in the context of the race to zero. So I did have

45:33the opportunity to visit a couple of clients and GJR and could you refresh my memory how many trucks

45:40that GJR actually takes off the road on an annual basis so rather than how I wrote the number down

45:46somewhere but I can't recall but can you give us a sense of how GJR contributes to the city's race

45:52to zero? To Councillor O'Rourke we took approximately 272,000 transport trucks off the road with the

46:04amount of traffic we have by rail car. Okay so those councillors who weren't able to avail themselves

46:11of those visits it really was impressive and how important GJR is to the agri-food ecosystem in

46:18the city. I can't remember if it was all the corn for the Doritos or just all the orange powder

46:23I don't know but a lot of that comes through one of the GJR. I know it was about Doritos.

46:29I just had a question with respect to potential future growth since we're sitting as the shareholders

46:35so what do you see like there's a finite as the trails hiking club points out there's a finite

46:41amount of land on either side of the railway so what is the potential for future growth?

46:53I know it depends but that's through the chair to Councillor O'Rourke I think that's

46:58that's where we're struggling a little bit again as we look to opportunities going forth as I said

47:04to Councillor Allt it's really trying to strike that balance between making sure that we're meeting

47:09the needs of our businesses economic development is very important we want to support our businesses

47:14in the city of Guelph but we don't want to do that at the expense of being a good community

47:21partner and providing trails where we can so I guess it depends where we're looking at but I know

47:27that's has been a focus for us in the last couple years and then we'll continue to be a focus in the

47:33future. Great and then my last question through you Mayor Guthrie probably either to Mr. Gudrum

47:40or to Mr. Petrosi so when we were on that tour there was conversation about could we have more

47:46frequent reporting really out of curiosity around what's the progress on trails or what you know

47:52what what are some road safety things that you would like us to convey through our own channels

47:56that type of thing and so to to the delegates point as well is GJR looking at perhaps more

48:03frequent reporting like a you know twice a year quarterly is that something that GJR is looking

48:11at in its operations recognizing that it's an operational decision. Yeah through the chair

48:17definitely something that we're going to look at now going forward we heard that message loud and

48:21clear we've heard it in other avenues we have definitely a good story to tell and something

48:27that we need to get out in front of and share those good news stories more publicly with the

48:33community so it was heard and it's something that we're going to work into our plans for well this

48:39year and going forward. Sure I think thanks. All right oh yeah Councillor Prasichal please.

48:48Thank you for the presentation and through the mayor I just want to echo what my colleagues said

48:53about the tour that was excellent it was very educational I enjoyed it quite thoroughly.

48:59I do have a question I know the answer I'm going to ask does the rail serve the west side of the

49:06city of Guelph? I'm sorry but I'm not very good at being in council but to all councillors

49:20yes we do service the west end of the north of the north industrial of Guelph yes.

49:27Thank you and and not that I want to focus on trails but I am very concerned when I see and I

49:34don't have the exact motion and direction that the dividend be directed to trails associated

49:40with the railway and you know when we have the opportunity for this conversation I will be raising

49:46the Margaret Green underpass and equity of trails and the trails master plan because of that concern

49:54so thank you very much the the I love the economic benefit to the community I really sincerely

50:00appreciate all of your work and and saw it firsthand so thank you very much for that.

50:08Craig is there anything further? No great good discussion thank you everybody.

50:13So we're going to have the recommendation here that city council in its capacity as the sole

50:19shareholder of Guelph Junction Railway Limited receives and approves the Guelph Junction Railway

50:242023 annual report to the shareholders. Councillor Busuttil is helping me with that.

50:31Councillor Allt is helping me second that and is there anything further? No okay I'm going to call

50:37the vote. Is there anyone against? Nobody that is passed and that we also have the financial

50:46statements recommendation that Guelph Junction Railway Limited audited financial statements for

50:51the year end of December 31st 2023 be received for information. O'Rourke and Ault again thank you

51:01just let any of my other colleagues know if you put up your handle you'll be your name out too.

51:05So is there anything further on that? Do you want to ask a question before I call the vote?

51:10Yep go ahead. Not a question if I could a comment. I read the financial statement again what a mighty

51:16team of staff phenomenal operation and business plan and it's evident in the financial statements

51:24and I just want to say kudos and I was quite impressed thank you. Ditto thank you very much.

51:31Okay I'll call the vote is anyone against the receiving of the financial statements?

51:37No that's nobody that's unanimous as well. Who other than Councillor Allt would like to move

51:42adjournment? All right Karan and Kate and two new two new last names I get to say. All right

51:50I'm going to call the vote for adjournment is anyone against that? Nobody okay so we are done

51:56that meeting thank you very much and so with that our next meeting is actually moving into

52:05council and that starts at 5 30 so it's 451 right now so we will look to meet back online or in

52:16the room here in about 40 minutes thank you so much everyone.