**NDP MEDIA RELEASE**

During question period Monday, NDP MPP John Vanthof demanded the Doug Ford government return the Northlander passenger service. 

“The Ford government throne speech — the roadmap to all government plans — made no reference at all to restoring the Northlander. In fact, the throne speech didn’t mention northern Ontario at all,” said Vanthof, MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane.

“The NDP is going to keep fighting for the return of the Northlander, because it’s important to northern people, northern jobs and the northern economy.”

The NDP has been demanding that the Ontario Northlander passenger rail service be restored since the Liberals cancelled it in 2012.

Vanthof said that since the election, the Ford government has ignored northern Ontario completely and today failed to commit to restoring the Northlander.