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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · 15d

Ribbon cuttings make headlines. But delivery doesn’t end there.

Hospitals, transit lines, campuses: what matters is whether they work, year after year.

New piece on why Canada must fund operations as seriously as construction:
dbellerive.substack.com/p/delivery-d...

Delivery Doesn’t End at the Ribbon Cutting

Approvals and ribbon cuttings make headlines, but the real test of delivery is what comes after: the ability to run, staff, and sustain services for decades.

dbellerive.substack.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · 23d

My latest video for Rail Fans Canada! Exciting progress along the tracks of Stage 2 East in Ottawa. Hopefully we have some good news later this year regarding the timeline for this transformative project to open.

Rail Fans Canada @railfans.ca · 23d

On September 13, 2025, OC Transpo and the East-West Connectors consortium carried out the first full performance test of the Stage 2 East Ext. Captured here is exclusive footage of the test, including trains passing through the stations and along the 174.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-U...

Ottawa's O-Train Stage 2 East Testing: On Track for Revenue Service

YouTube video by Rail Fans Canada

www.youtube.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Aug 27

“Efficiencies” don’t balance the books: they erode services and trust in our governments, institutions and organizations.

My first (!!!) op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen: Why respect for taxpayers must mean real investment in transit, housing, and climate resilience.

ottawacitizen.com/opinion/taxp...

Bellerive: Ottawa taxpayers get no respect in latest budget proposal

The city does not have a budget problem. It has a priorities problem. And it targets the wrong people to fix it.

ottawacitizen.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Aug 22

Canada doesn’t suffer from a lack of plans. It suffers from a lack of delivery.

The new Major Projects Office is a step forward, but the real test is whether Canada can build the capacity to deliver.

dbellerive.substack.com/p/the-time-t...

#Infrastructure #Canada #Delivery

The Time To Start Building Is Now

Announcements are easy; delivery is what matters. Canada’s future depends on building not just projects, but the capacity to execute them.

dbellerive.substack.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Aug 8

Toronto’s streetcars carry more riders every weekday than Ottawa + Edmonton’s rail systems combined.

They’re not broken. They’re underpowered. Under-prioritized.

The reasons? Not technical: political, spatial, social.

Read: open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...

#Transit #Cities #Urbanism #Toronto

Toronto’s Streetcars Are Great. We Just Don’t Treat Them Like It.

No other Canadian city has a streetcar network like this. So why do we treat it like an afterthought?

open.substack.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jul 11

In case you missed it!

We know how to build infrastructure that works, so why don’t we?

dbellerive.substack.com/p/we-know-ho...

David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jul 10

No it doesn't.

"Human" barriers isn’t a dig at staff.

It’s a call to rethink the cultures and institutions that waste the talent we already have.

The problem isn’t what people learned 30 years ago: it’s that the system often doesn’t let them apply what they’ve learned since.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jul 10

If we already know how to build better infrastructure —
why don’t we?

New post on the real barriers: not technical, but cultural, institutional, and human.

dbellerive.substack.com/p/we-know-ho...

We Know How to Build Better Infrastructure. So Why Don’t We?

The real barriers to delivery aren’t technical they’re cultural, institutional, and human.

dbellerive.substack.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jul 2

What’s the difference between a cancelled project and one that gets built? Sometimes, it’s who’s in charge.

New essay on how institutions are reshaping how we build things in Canada, and what it might cost us.

dbellerive.substack.com/p/whos-going...

#infrastructure #Canada #governance #transit

Who’s Going to Say No to CDPQ?

Why delivery now belongs to those who act, not those who debate.

dbellerive.substack.com

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jun 18

People lined up to visit… a closed train station.

Not because it was new. Because, for once, they were invited in.

If we want people to care about public systems, we need to build toward inclusion, not just completion.

New post: open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...

#infrastructure #transit

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jun 12

Excited to share the launch of my Substack and a first post!

It’s about infrastructure, systems, and figuring out how to go from talking to doing. Do not hesitate to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...

#Infrastructure #Transit #Delivery

Let’s Talk About What We Build

A personal starting point for turning ideas into infrastructure, and building toward what’s next for me.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by David Bellerive

Emma Cardinal @emmacardinal.com · Feb 11

ne manquez pas la nouvelle exposition éphémère à la station berri-uqam dans le couloir de l'accès d (de maisonneuve)! #stminfo

don't miss out the opportunity to see the new temporary art exhibition at berri-uqam station (near the de maisonneuve entrance/exit)! #stminfo

couloir avec des œuvres d'art au mur. la seule œuvre d'art bien visible dans la photo est une impression abstraite bleue et blanche.

busy hallway with prints on a temporary construction wall. the closest artwork to the person taking a picture is an abstract blue and white print.

panneau explicatif dans le cadre de l'exposition.

information panel that gives context about the artworks.

couloir avec des œuvres d'art au mur. l' œuvre d'art la plus visible dans la photo est une impression abstraite noire et bleue avec du texte blanc.

busy hallway with prints on a temporary construction wall. the closest artwork to the person taking a picture is an abstract black and blue print with white text.

œuvre avec un fond blanc ainsi que des lignes bleues et du texte bleu.

artwork with a white background, blue lines, and blue text.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Feb 10

And to add onto this; if I was a rider on a “pre-paid fare”, I’d feel SOOOOOO valued by the line that basically says “what’s the point in making things better, they pay anyway.”

UPass, EquiPass and other programs can make people into lifelong transit users, but we’d much rather send them elsewhere.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Feb 10

Not to be THAT guy, but have they considered that capacity is only ONE factor?

Like if I am gonna miss a train and wait 10 minutes for the next one, I might just walk instead.

I’d also love to see what they consider “light”, “medium” and “high”. uOttawa Station during “off-peak” is a mess.

Rail Fans Canada @railfans.ca · Feb 10

For those hoping that O-Train Line 1 would return to less than 10-minute frequencies off-peak, I present the following memo, which essentially says No!

(Quote: sufficient capacity is currently being provided on O-Train Line 1 during off-peak periods to meet demand.)

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 27

POV: your autofocus loves the snow. 🙃

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 20

My newest video for @railfans.ca is out now! Go check it out!

Coast to Coast 2024: Exploring Canada’s Passenger Rail Projects and Progress

As we wrap up 2024, Coast to Coast takes you on a journey through the progress of passenger rail projects across Canada.

youtu.be/H9IFLQKyyis

Coast to Coast 2024: Exploring Canada’s Passenger Rail Projects and Progress

YouTube video by Rail Fans Canada

youtu.be

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 12

I don’t think there is a better way to phrase it than that.

Just. Build. The. Darn. Thing.

Transport Action Canada @transportaction.ca · Jan 12

Will Canada's next PM and government finally score the empty-net goal for economic and environmental progress that VIA Rail tried to hand Trudeau in 2016?
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/del...

Delays, Trudeau resignation threaten Toronto-Quebec City high-frequency rail project

MONTREAL - Canadians hoping plans for high-frequency rail between Toronto and Quebec City would move forward this year will instead see further delays — and the prospect of a federal

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 12

Coming soon(ish) to a @railfans.ca near you!

This might be my favourite project to work on every year, and this time, it is a MASSIVE one! For reference, the 2023 and 2022 ones were 16 minutes each...

*Placeholder thumbnail and title.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 10

Believe it or not, but this fella is responsible for 95% of all fare evasion in Ottawa.

Good thing he doesn't know how to read a schedule though, for now...

A racoon going down the stairs of the emergency exit at Dow's Lake Station during the night of January 9 2025.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 10

Exploring Lines 2 and 4 of the O-Train tonight!

I ran into some people who shared their experiences so far, and I am very happy to report they are very positive!

Comfortable ride, great trains, nice to have this corridor again!

If you haven’t already, take the time to go check it out!

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 9

Attention all Rail Fans!

We’re considering a limited run of Rail Fans Canada enamel pins, but we need your feedback to make it happen.

Take the quick survey here: forms.gle/PsD7ikEBA5o7...

Your input helps us create merch that you’ll love, so don’t miss out!

Rail Fans Canada Enamel Pins

Hello everyone! We are trying to gauge the interest for a limited run of Rail Fans Canada enamel pins. Given the minimum volume order needed for those items, establishing interest can help us offer a ...

forms.gle

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Jan 8

An O-Train kinda week!

So happy to FINALLY be able to be onboard Line 2 and 4 after many years of waiting.

The Stadler FLIRT are a massive upgrade for Ottawa’s North-South line. Smooth, comfortable, high capacity.

Oh, and SCREENS.

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Dec 28

Also worth adding this one was brand new: it is a September 2023 manufacturing date. They must have tons and tons of those in warehouses that they can’t sell…

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David Bellerive @dbellerive.ca · Dec 28

The best sales pitch for the Steam Deck is trying a ROG Ally for 24 hours.

The hardware is fine, Windows isn’t.

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Reposted by David Bellerive

Rail Fans Canada @railfans.ca · Dec 22

Thanks to your continued support and enjoyment of our content, today we celebrate 6000 subscribers on YouTube. Happy Holidays to all.
YouTube.RailFans.ca

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