Here's when the key players will testify at the Ottawa LRT inquiry

Mayor Jim Watson will testify at the public inquiry looking into Ottawa's light rail transit system on the eve of the Canada Day long weekend, while the city manager is scheduled to testify for a full day right after the holiday weekend.

The Ottawa Light Rail Transit Public Inquiry released the schedule for witnesses ahead of the inquiry's start on June 13.

There are 41 people scheduled to testify during the 18 days of testimony.

The city's former rail implementation director John Jensen is the first witness scheduled to testify on June 13.

Watson will testify during the afternoon session on June 30, and City Manager Steve Kanellakos is the only witness scheduled to testify on July 4.

Other witnesses scheduled to testify include former OC Transpo general manager John Manconi on June 28, Peter Lauch of Rideau Transit Group on June 29, OC Transpo Director of Transit Operations Troy Charter on July 5 and Rideau Transit Maintenance chief executive officer Mario Guerra on July 7.

Councillors Allan Hubley, Catherine McKenney, Diane Deans and Citizen Transit Commissioner Sarah Wright-Gilbert are scheduled to testify on June 29.

Public hearings will be held at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law from June 13 to July 8.

The commission has collected more than one million documents—identifying more than 10,000 as relevant—and conducted more than 90 witness interviews.

The Ontario government called a public inquiry into Ottawa's troubled light rail transit system in November 2021, following the second derailment in six weeks along the Confederation Line. The derailment on Sept. 19 shutdown the LRT system for nearly two months.

The inquiry, led by Justice William Hourigan, has a mandate to investigate the commercial and technical circumstances that led to Stage 1 breakdowns and derailments. It will look at the decisions and actions that were taken in determining the procurement approach the city selected for Stage 1, the selection of Rideau Transit Group to build the system and the awarding of the contract.  

The commission must deliver its final report, including any recommendations, to the Minister of Transportation on or before Aug. 31. An extension is also possible until the end of November.

Here is the full schedule for the hearings (schedule is subject to change)

DAY 1 – June 13

• John Jensen (City of Ottawa) – Morning
• Riccardo Cosentino (Rideau Transit Group) – Afternoon

DAY 2 – June 14

• Rob Pattison (Infrastructure Ontario) – Morning
• Marian Simulik (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 3 – June 15

• John Traianopoulos (Infrastructure Ontario) – Morning
• Nancy Schepers (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 4 – June 16

• Yves Declercq (Alstom Transport Canada Inc.) – Morning
• 8. Manuel Rivaya (OLRT Constructors) – Afternoon

DAY 5 – June 17

• Antonio Estrada (Rideau Transit Group) – Morning
• Rupert Holloway (OLRT Constructors) – Afternoon

DAY 6 – June 20

• Remo Bucci (Deloitte) – Morning
• Michael Burns (Thales Canada Inc.) – Afternoon

DAY 7 – June 21

• Lowell Goudge (Alstom Transport Canada Inc.) – Morning
• Jacques Bergeron (OLRT Constructors) – Afternoon

DAY 8 – June 22

• Bertrand Bouteloup (Alstom Transport Canada Inc.) – Morning
• Parsons/Delcan Panel – Thomas Fodor, Mike Palmer, Jonathan Hulse – Afternoon

DAY 9 – June 23

• Richard Holder (City of Ottawa) – Morning
• Monica Sechiari (Altus Group/IC) – Afternoon

DAY 10 – June 24

• Matthew Slade (OLRT Constructors/Rideau Transit Maintenance) – Morning
• Yang Liu (Alstom Transport Canada Inc.) – Afternoon

DAY 11 – June 27

• Michael Morgan (City of Ottawa) – Morning
• Brian Guest (Boxfish) – Afternoon

DAY 12 – June 28

• Thomas Prendergast (STV Inc.) – Morning
• John Manconi (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 13 – June 29

• Peter Lauch (Rideau Transit Group) – Morning
• City of Ottawa Panel – Catherine McKenney, Allan Hubley, Sarah Wright-Gilbert, Diane Deans – Afternoon

DAY 14 – June 30

• Derek Wynne (SEMP) and Sergio Mammoliti (TUV Rheinland/ISA) – Morning
• .Jim Watson (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 15 – July 4

• Steve Kanellakos (City of Ottawa) – Morning

DAY 16 – July 5

• Larry Gaul (STV Inc.) – Morning
• Troy Charter (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 17 – July 6

• Richard France (Alstom Transport Canada Inc.) – Morning
• Brandon Richards (City of Ottawa) – Afternoon

DAY 18 – July 7

• Mario Guerra (Rideau Transit Management) – Morning
• Nicolas Truchon (Rideau Transit Group) – Afternoon