The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 9

THEPROVINCE.COM I NEWS I A9 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2009 CANADA LINE Politicians toot first train's horn INAUGURAL nun: Plaque to be erected recognizing workers who built line BY DAMIAN INWOOD About 300 people jammed the first 3L. v. (ST -5 XV -vT train, which left the airport at 10: 15 a.m. Campbell and Stockwell Day, federal Minister of International Trade and the Asia Pacific Gateway, rode the first train. Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie joined in at Bridgeport station; Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson got on at Broadway-City Hall.

Vancouver 2010 CEO John Furlong caught a ride at Olympic Village station. Campbell said it is hard to believe the impact the new line will have on Vancouver and Richmond over the next century. "This system will take about 100,000 people each day out of their cars and off the roads," he said "That's 200,000 trips per day." Campbell said a plaque will be erected recognizing the 2,000 workers who built the new line, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Federal Minister of International Trade Day, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Premier Gordon Campbell. "Johnny-come-lately" to the pro- I I staff reporter All aboard! The first train on the new $2-bil- lion Canada Line left the station five minutes early Monday at Vancou- ver International Airport. It was packed to the doors with politicians, VIPs and media and invited guests were spared the lengthy lineups that faced thou sands later the day.

"OK, we're ready for the first car," said Premier Gordon Campbell, standing on the platform at YVR. "Send it on in." After the first train slid smoothly mto the station and the obligatory ribbon-cutting ceremony was done, Campbell played conductor on the 19-kilometre line, "Is everybody on board?" asked Campbell, before sounding the horn as the train pulled out. Thousands of people stood in long, It was standing-room only for many. IPt IE I "Mi. 1W 'A I I a to t.

i i Riding the first train are (from left) and Asia-Pacific Gateway Stockwell which links downtown Vancouver with Richmond and the airport. Day joked that he been allowed to honk the train's horn four times, "and I guess that's about $110 mil- lion a honk" in federal funding. Robertson said the amount of Riders Heyes and her lawyer Cameron Ward and their request for details of the "concession agreement" between Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. and its builder, InTransitBC. Details of the contract must be made public on or before Sept.

23. Canada Line negotiated the contract with InTransitBC for the 19-kilometre, line to Richmond from downtown Vancouver that opened Monday. jjr i "angst, challenge, brainpower and dollars" that went into building the line was off the chart. He said that while Greater Van- couver needs a lot more rapid tran- sit, "this is a great start." Robertson described himself as a wave their Canada Line passports on Like many businesses on Cambie Street, Heyes' clothing store was crippled during construction of the project. She sued for $900,000 in damages and was awarded $600,000, although Canada Line has appealed the decision.

Her lawsuit proceeded without full details of the contract between Canada Line, a subsidiary of regional transportation authority TransLink, and InTransitBC, the ject." But he said the people who orga- nized the project had to "put up with my ankle-biting to try to make itbetter." dinwoodtheprovince.com their way to board the first train. private partner that designed, built, operates and maintains the line. Although public money is paying for the project, details of the deal were withheld, allegedly due to a need for confidentiality. "What we got was an edited document," said Heyes Monday. "We really don't know what's in it.

All we know is they tried very hard not to give it to us." flubatheprovince.com snaking lines at Waterfront Station yesterday for a free ride. Project's financing deal to be made public BY FRANK LUBA LOWER MAINLAND REPORTER The contract for the Canada Line rapid-transit project that allegedly had to be secret because it involved a private company isn't going to be secret much longer. Celia Francis, a senior adjudicator in the office of the province's Information and Privacy Commissioner, has ruled in favour of Susan For a photo gallery of the Canada Line opening, go to www.theprovince.com.