Here’s The Transcript Of Wednesday Light-Rail Chat

Above are the Bulldog Commenting All-Stars who were told they would not be released unless they contributed to Wednesday’s light-rail chat.

Here is a transcript of Wednesday’s live chat concerning the outage of the city’s LRT Confederation Line. As usual the last comment comes first and the first comment comes last. Makes perfect sense here at Bulldog World Headquarters:

• 
  Ken Gray :Then as usual, the Bulldog Commenting All-Stars came through again. Many thanks to all of you. Let’s be careful out there. cheers kgray
• Ken Gray :As I was setting up the chat room, I said to myself this will never work because there’s been no notice, odd time … etc.
• Ken Gray : Pleasure was all mine, Al.
• Al : Thanks for moderating and hosting Just saw the start of the post- mortem and the “expected” partial return to revenue service.Is it revenue service when neither is true?
• Official, Unofficial Updates On LRT Outage
• Ken Gray : Anyway, it looks as if everyone has left when Donna went. Typical men. Anyway, I’m gonna take a break for awhile cause I’ve been the hardest workin’ guy in showbiz today. thanks to everyone who participate. It was fun and interesting. cheers kgray
• Ken Gray : You could pull a Jim and hide under your desk.
• Ken Gray : So what do you say if you are Sutcliffe?
• Ken Gray : thx for checking in donna. k
• Ken Gray : The city editor said he’d send a photog to get a pic of me be carrried out but I never saw a photog. I think he just wanted me to be carried out. lol
• Al : Look where he is now and his “buy out”
• Ken Gray : Anyway, it was great fun.
• Ken Gray : No Bruce Thom. I talked to the city editor and we agreed I shouldn’t leave. I was on a public area. Then they got someone to talk to me. As I walked down a hallway to the bureau. Three or four security guys were coming to get me. I don’t know how they could throw someone out if they were renting an office there. lol
• Kosmo : don’t wait to long for your train…
• Mulvihill : Anyway, gotta go … thanks for this. Chat soon.
• Al : Was that Kent?
• Mulvihill : Yiu know, I believe you Ken.
• Ken Gray : I almost got carried out of city hall one day when I wouldn’t leave the waiting area for city manager until he talked to me. I had him trapped in his office with no washroom. I would have like to send in a six-pack of beer. Then he’d HAVE to leave.
• Al : Tested for 12 continuous days no failures?
• Mulvihill : I really believe that Andy Haydon had it right.
• Kosmo : we end up were we’ve been before… sorry but remember the days the LRT worked
• Al : Scrap steel sells well
• Mulvihill : It’s all about priorities Al. Hefty discounts?
• Al : Repeat after me BRT thanks Andy
• Ken Gray : it would be fun to try.
• Mulvihill : Ken, you aren’t getting in to the press conference
• Ken Gray : Conventional as in it works.
• Ken Gray : We kind of talked about that earlier. They will likely need new and more conventional rolling stock.
• Rocco : Old TV joke!
• Confederation Line Is Down. Passengers Evacuated
• Al : Donna Can the city get any lower “world class” missed that mark but helped a Porche dealership!
• Rocco : How to survive the train issue…more at 11 tonite!
• Mulvihill : What can Sutcliffe possibly say?
• Ken Gray : No one will buy I’m a friend of the former mayor.
• Mulvihill : Do they scrap it all and go back to diesel trains?
• Ken Gray : I’m thinking Sutcliffe is trying to think of something to say. How many times can you say you’re sorry.
• Kosmo : tell them you’re a friend of Jimmy’s and you’ll get ba front row seat
• Mulvihill : What a mess. Where does this city go from here?
• Ken Gray : … at the reporter.
• Ken Gray : there’s nothing like a reporter being frog marched from some place to enrage the public …
• Al : Conference likely paused until 6 or 7 PM so as to miss the evening news. OH and to find all the ducks to get in a row, Row Row Row your boat?
• Mulvihill : LOL!!
• Ken Gray : As conscious as ever … which isn’t much.
• Mulvihill : Conscious?
• Ken Gray : See I would have to go to the conference with someone to take video to see me carried out.
• Kosmo : Sutcliffe has said nothing yet, he’s still think of his next monkey in the midle comment
• Mulvihill : Why waste your time? It would just be more yadda yadda yadda …
• Ken Gray : Uh oh. What have I done? I don’t know for a fact if they are in the tunnel, but doesn’t that make sense? Guess I should have gone to the news conference if they would let me int.
• Mulvihill : Has Sutcliffe put in an appearance yet? Said anything?
• Kosmo : brilliant movie and just as funny
• Ken Gray : Maybe Happy Town News quit.
• Mulvihill : Are people actually stuck in the tunnel?
• Kosmo : transpo writers are stuck in the tunnel
• Ken Gray : Now I imagine a scene from Airplane. “
• Kosmo : trains will need staff to identify emergency exits, masks dropping drop the ceiling etc. just like being on a plane
• Ken Gray : Still no updates for three hours from transpo.
• Ken Gray : They’re putting snorkels on the trains.
• Ken Gray : When the tunnel flooded, I ran a video snippet from Das Boot.
• Kosmo : and the trains are empty
• Rocco : Maybe these trains could be used as submarines? But please only test that option once all passengers are out of tunnel!
• Ken Gray : Yes, there are a lot of guys here. Donna, where are all our women commenters. Hello, The Voter where are you?
• Mulvihill : Awww you guys with the compliments .. you’re making me blush LOL
• Al : Remember this has happened in APRIL Let us look into the crystal ball for next Dec. Jan.
• Mulvihill : Im not sure how he can even hold his head up … on a normal day that would be hard on the shoulders
• Kosmo : my bad joke was to get Mulvhill commenting, she’s a brilliant writer
• Ken Gray : Yes but coffee futures have gone up.
• Al : Good friend of Jim Both AWOL or MIA
• Ken Gray : If he is happy, how can we end this? lol
• Mulvihill : Hubley is responsible for this mess .. he seems to be AWOL in the community.
• Kosmo : Alan is sitting at home feet up coffee in hand and telling everybody around him ‘see it wasn’t me’
• Ken Gray : Oh .. Hubley … that got Donna going . lol
• Mulvihill : Why would Hubley be the happiest guy?
• Ken Gray : How’s that?
• Al : Why is he at home?
• Kosmo : well Alan Hubley is the happiest guy in the city today
• Al : No heat no light except for emerg?
• Ken Gray : No doubt a couple stopped in the tunnel.
• Ken Gray : One would think so. I don’t know for sure. The trains stopped.
• Al : You are supposing the councilors can THINK for themselves Few if any?
• Ken Gray : I mean how do you explain this. It wasn’t like they didn’t see the storm coming.
• Kosmo : really people trapped in the tunnel? did not know
• Al : Still understood
• Ken Gray : they wouldn’t have to heat the place. Wrecked that joke.
• Kosmo : it will be interest to hear the different councillor comments when good ole jimmy isn’t handing it to them
• Ken Gray : Anyway I hope those people are getting out of the tunnel ok. And how do they get the mobility challenged people out of there?
• Ken Gray : Haha
• Kosmo : watch your step would have a whole new meaning
• Ken Gray : In fact, if we harnessed donkey power at city hall, they would have to heat the joint.
• Ken Gray : Imagine all the power available then. Donkeys for every train.
• Kosmo : donkeys built the system
• Ken Gray : And trying to translate the reports into English. Planning is an adventure.
• Ken Gray : probably Leiper is too busy with planning and putting a four storey condo beside your house to worry about bikes and energy
• Ken Gray : and a couple of donkeys on the front. I’ve got a couple of candidates for the donkeys.
• Kosmo : install a windmill on the front of the train and a solar panel on the back of each train
• Ken Gray : Windmills would be flying. However Ron tells me over a certain speed they must be shut down or they will break. Good grief. Someone tell Jeffy Leiper.
• Rocco : That was my point! LOL
• Ken Gray : Haha. You know they could have installed a couple of windmills and solar panels around the stations to help heat them.
• Kosmo : ya solar would work great today
• Rocco : Suggestions: Install solar panel on the roofs of these battery buses!
• Ken Gray : imagine how far one of those creatures will go with the heaters blasting and the temp -30.
• Kosmo : that’s alot of AA batteries to get to work
• Ken Gray : Man those battery buses. By the time we get them in service, the people who bought them will be collecting their pensions.
• Mulvihill : Battery buses … we’re so screwed.
• Rocco : Just wait…the battery buses will save us!
• Mulvihill : And didn’t staff recommend a $200/day raise to $1700 for the LRT legal beagle (name escapes me)
• Kosmo : we’ve had issue from the start
• Al : Install “Fred Flintstone” power
• Ken Gray : You’re right donna. And now Transpo is rerouting buses because the train is out. Bad day to be standing outside waiting.
• Rocco : Where there is no winter???Didn’t we have issues in summer also.
• Kosmo : LRT was never tested in extreme heat
• Mulvihill : So what’s Plan B? Clearly their sure-fire fix didn’t work.
• Kosmo : power out in riverside south
• Al : Mexico or some other place where there is no winter?
• Ken Gray : Some place where they could be pulled by donkeys.
• Mulvihill : I feel so sorry for all those employees forced to take this disaster of a transportation system. Sutcluffe’s plea to TB’s Mona Fortier to force workers back to the office seems to have backfired. He will definitely be a one term mayor.
• Ken Gray : You know you make this thing work or everybody’s burning gas.
• Rocco : What city/Country would buy these custom trains?
• Rocco : RE: “Al :Fire sale of the rolling stock”
• Ken Gray : the horror
• Kosmo : diesel engines during a climate emergency???
• Ken Gray : Just joking kosmo. k
• Ken Gray : Laughing stock. Good one. Expect Kosmo to recycle it next year.
• Rocco : Install diesel engines on these trains…the way it should have been from the start! I guess its to late!
• Ken Gray : that’s what people are doing
• Ken Gray : Buy a car. That
• Al : Sorry should have siad Laughing stock
• Kosmo : I have an answer, run the LRT like school buses when the weather is bad cancel them
• Mulvihill : Fire sale? No bidders …
• Al : Fire sale of the rolling stock
• Ken Gray : Donna where did you hear about 5. The city is saying four. Could they be fibbing?
• Mulvihill : So what’s the answer? Clearly running trains all night isn’t it.
• Al : Happy Town News can tell the difference?
• Ken Gray : the lies will soon be on the internet. Lies are free. Truth costs money.
• Ken Gray : Plus I think I must register and I wouldn’t do that. I don’t want city hall deciding who is media.
• Al : Got to separate the truth from the chaff or lies.
• Ken Gray : I don’t think a press conference needs investigative reporting. More like a stenographer.
• Mulvihill : Apparently there are 5 trains stopped and this with the catenary lines de-iced or whatever they’re doing to ensure trains run uninterrupted.
• Al : A media availability is planned for this afternoon according to Rene. Ken how will you get there? The citizens of Ottawa NEED decent investigative reporting You are our hope!
• Ken Gray : Well, howdy Donna. I have to pay people for those kind of compliments.
• Kosmo : of course there’s signal in the tunnel, how else would the leaks be reported
• Mulvihill : Thanks Rocco!
• Kosmo : 3 pm restoration of power in stittsville as per Glen Gower
• Ken Gray : I wonder if they can get a cellphone signal down there.
• Ken Gray : I wonder how people are doing in the tunnel?
• Ken Gray : Or Paul Simon …
• Ken Gray : You’re right, guest. However it was 1998. I covered it for the citizen. Fascinating.
• guest_6335 : Just call me Al
• Ken Gray : guest 6335 could you use a name of something like that. The guest number is hard to follow. thx for joining us. k
• Kosmo : water proof tape should be ok for today?
• Ken Gray : So that’s where the tape went. My kingdom for a bit of tape.
• Ken Gray : Glen Gower just tweeted that he thought it was appropriate a R1 bus sign was repaired with electrical tape. lol
• guest_6335 : I suggested when LRT was under consideration that Andy H was right. BRT was/is the best way to go for Ottawa. Reason 1 The weather stops LRT completely since you can NOT reroute LRT but you can BRT. With the “advent of hybrid or all electric bus there is no need to consider exhausting to tunnel. You can buy how many busses for the cost of ONE Alstrom and busses do provide SERVICE. Ottawa got through 1997 Ice storm even with power outages Busses still ran!
• Kosmo : I’ve tried to read the Ottawa Sun/Ottawa Citizen on line but it’s brutal. once you’ve read it on Monday there’s nothing new to read until the following week Wednesday.
• Kosmo : and if he keeps that up it will kill his political career
• Kosmo : he never took a side, he was like the monkey in the middle
• Ken Gray : I was lucky to have worked in print when it mattered.
• Ken Gray : You know it’s much, much different running the shop than talking about it in a studio.
• Kosmo : print side? that’s so 90’s
• Kosmo : I’m not too impressed with him or his resume
• Ken Gray : You know and on the broadcast side, i notice some signs of low level anger. Not on the print side though.
• Ken Gray : He’s supported by the same people and those are some pretty powerful people in this town. He needs to be his own man or those people behind him will steamroller him.
• Kosmo : Sutcliffe still takes to the media like he’s still working in the media.
• Kosmo : Rocco… is that you???
• Kosmo : we didn’t do must better voting on Sutcliffe
• Ken Gray : he’s reading the Bulldog for sure. In fact, he’s probably reading this discussion. Maybe he’ll join us.
• Kosmo : watson must be going stir crazy after attending over 3,000 event a year to sitting at home emptying his freeze of bon bons and reading the Bulldog
• Ken Gray : This is the biggest cock up in local Ottawa history and he thinks the people in this town will re-elect him? Well he’s right. They probably will.
• Kosmo : All a board
• Ken Gray : Well if he is really sniffing around Ottawa Centre, what does this say about him. What does it say about voters?
• Ken Gray : He could finish off Stage 2 to the same illustrious standards as Stage 1.
• Kosmo : Watson is an interesting bird
• Kosmo : please let’s hope not.
• Ken Gray : Had Watson been mayor, this would never have happened.
• Kosmo : the system will age quickly due to poor workmanship
• Ken Gray : there’s going to be a tragedy on this line.
• Ken Gray : I think there are so many things wrong that we haven’t begun to understand the depth of difficulties.
• Kosmo : with leaks come sink… then crumbling structure. can’t wait
• Ken Gray : If you want big bucks for repairs, wait until the tunnel goes.
• Kosmo : I’ve had a few discussions with acquaintances that are high level working on the LRT and after the first year of service my opinion was the tracks were installed incorrectly. they thought I was crazy (which they were right) but they have said lately, it could/should be something that needs to be looked
• Ken Gray : Also there was a stretch of tunnel where they forgot to put on waterproof fabric. The leaks … they come.
• Ken Gray : Also just basic infrastructure like power lines and we have yet to have problems with the tunnel … but they are coming … the land around Sandy Hill is not stable. Wait for problems there.
• Ken Gray : And buying out RTG but not before they discover who can maintain it. This is going to be a lot of bucks.
• Ken Gray : Kosmo, I’m thinking new rolling stock without the city modifications. Strong overhead wiring. Maybe adjustments of the tracks or new ones. It ain’t pretty.
• Rocco : Its had improments since :)
• Kosmo : the thunder is crazy right now!!!
• Ken Gray : thx Rocco. the last time I was there was when the clubhouse wasn’t built and someone filled in a wetland
• Kosmo : what will it take to fix the LRT?
• Ken Gray : I miss the skeeters and black flies.
• Rocco : You and Mr. Benn have open invite to Eagle Creek.
• Kosmo : you’re just happy you found someone you can play with… and beat.
• Ken Gray : together? Forgive me Lord for I know not what I did.
• Ken Gray : You you’re right. Were it not for Benn, my only company on the golf course would be skeeters and black flies.
• Kosmo : you were smart enough to get us all together!!!
• Kosmo : I think Mayor Sutcliffe is going to get caught in the ‘make everybody happy syndrome’
• Ken Gray : I got to get smarter to keep up.
• Ken Gray : You know the level of knowledge on this site is rising rapidly. People used to go “I didn’t know that. That Gray must be smart.” Everybody but me got smarter. Now I’m criticized all the time.
• Kosmo : I am so blessed for the opportunity to contribute on this site, people like yourself and Mr. Benn we would never had a chance to speak/meet otherwise.
• Ken Gray : He knows development inside out. He will keep planning honest.
• Ken Gray : You know, my spidey sense tells me that the grant to the airport was a slam dunk until our new contributor Dan Stankovic stepped up and called them on it.
• Ken Gray : You know, Kosmo, the people who contribute to this site are a god send.
• Kosmo : the wealth of knowledge is way over my pay grade… but I’m learning a lot
• Ken Gray : Which reminds me … I was supposed to be watching the Jays and the Masters this afternoon. Did no one take this into account when they started this storm and transit outage? I’m blaming it on Watson.
• Kosmo : most to all that contribute to this site are brilliant
• Ken Gray : Too bad Benn didn’t set up the LRT. It might have worked. He’s quite a guy … except on the golf course.
• Ken Gray : Me too. They are real assets to the community. More people like them and it would be a better place.
• Ken Gray : Ok thx Rocco. Good to know and good for the city. We’ve got the power.
• Rocco : BTW, I love the input from Mulvihill and Benn!
• Rocco : Stittsville was only area according Ott. Hydro website
• Ken Gray : My nose has been buried in my computer since all this started this morning. Any place else lost power?
• Ken Gray : thanks for the update Rocco
• Rocco : Power back on in Stittsville…for now;)
• Ken Gray : And had he been a mayor, it might not have happened.
• Ken Gray : BtW. Watson will say that all this would never have happened had he been mayor … lol
• Ken Gray : mark my words, one of these days they will have a tragic derailment
• Ken Gray : I’m sort of not kidding on that one.
• Ken Gray : The good side to all this is that while they are stopped, at least they can’t derail
• Ken Gray : Oh yes, I’m back
• Ken Gray : remember how much time it took to get one train out of the way … imagine four now
• Kosmo : stop them all, this is crazy
• Ken Gray : Four trains have stopped
• Ken Gray : will see it soon
• Kosmo : ya he’s good at that
• Ken Gray : I’ll be back in a second. Just got a release from the city to publish … You
• Ken Gray : He would twist it to his advantage.
• Kosmo : would this latest LRT issue be enough to keep watson from running in Ottawa Centre???
• Kosmo : the freezing rain thunderstorms were a bit freaky
• Ken Gray : And where is where?
• Ken Gray : How’s the weather out there?
• Ken Gray : I’m not sure that’s good to know, Kosmo
• Kosmo : we have power in Barrhaven but we also don’t have a LRT line…yet
• Ken Gray : just remembered to plug in my phone. Good to have a strong battery when power in jeopardy
• Kosmo : I’m not a writer I’m a lover
• Ken Gray : so what do you have to say Mr. Kosmo. Never seen you so short for words lol
• Ken Gray : my mistake sorry
• Ken Gray : I’m restarting my phone. I cleared cache but I might be getting old cache
• Kosmo : thanks that worked
• Ken Gray : yes restart the page … that was cached from some time ago
• Kosmo : The Admin : High five! You’ve successfully installed Simple Ajax Chat.
• Kosmo : when I refresh the page I see this same message:
• Ken Gray : just a sec … i’ll clear the cache
• Kosmo : was on my phone a saw a few messages coming in switched to PC and lopst previous messages
• Ken Gray : Try rebooting your pc
• Ken Gray : You are seeing mine.
• Ken Gray : I got your message on pc
• Kosmo : PC
• Ken Gray : what are you using to read it
• Ken Gray : I got your message here
• Kosmo : don’t see any messages
• Kosmo : not sure this chat box is working properly for me…
• Ken Gray : It was september but after a few days my house was getting cold.
• Ken Gray : Generac would have been a godsend when the tornadoes came through town.
• Ken Gray : Expat: this has been going on forever. Here in Ottawa things have been so bad on LRT that we’re surprised when other cities say they’ve had no problems.
• Rocco : Only a Small battery backup, good for phone only! Would love to have a Generac hooked up to my home right now, like I had when I lived in the country.
• Ken Gray : Is where you are living getting cold?
• Ken Gray : You’re ready for anything, rocco. Good for you.
• Ken Gray : Anything else out there?
• Rocco : Cell phone with a battery backup
• Ken Gray : Thx rocco. I’m sure folks will like to know that.
• Rocco : Ottawa Hydro saying power will be restored by 4:00 p.m.
• Ken Gray : thx rocco — how are you messaging ? by phone? Or do you have power?
• Expat from the city : What an embarrassment for the city, I lived in Calgary in 84 when the LRT started in preparation for the 88 Olympics. I don’t recall any problems whatsoever.
• Rocco : Since 1145
• Ken Gray : How long has the power been out?
• Ken Gray : Try not to use guest xxx as id
• Ken Gray : What did they do to get ready?
• guest_8679 : Power out in Stittsville
• Ken Gray : Didn’t anyone see this severe weather event as a problem for LRT?
• Expat from the city : Headed our way here in NB. Stay safe!
• Ken Gray : Thunderstorms breaking out across the city. What’s next? Toads? Grasshoppers?

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