Mayor David Miller is expected tomorrow in Thunder Bay, where Premier Dalton McGuinty will announce the province's commitment to Toronto's big streetcar purchase from Bombardier.
So how will the mayor get there?
The drive from Toronto to the former cities of Port Arthur and Fort William is a gorgeous one. There are some spots along the way, where the Trans-Canada hugs the shores of Lake Superior, which steal your breath.
But Mr. Miller would have to leave now and spend the next 18 hours on the road. I did it several times as a student at Lakehead University. Not the best use of time.
A Greyhound bus takes about 24 hours. I also made that mistake once. Never again.
So the mayor will have to fly. An Air Canada ticket to the Lakehead tomorrow, leaving and returning at reasonable times in the day, will cost about $715, taxes included.
Too bad he couldn't wait until next Friday, when Porter Airlines begins its new service to Thunder Bay from the island airport. That return ticket would cost $367.85, all in.
In these tough economic times, I'm sure the mayor would find it hard to pass on those kinds of savings.