The president and C.E.O. of the Ottawa Airport Authority says it's now or never for a rail link to the Ottawa Airport.
In the past, the airport has been reluctant to participate in phase two of light rai, mainly due to the $155-million dollar cost of a spur line.
However, the provincial government has committed to paying half the line's cost, and city officials are hoping the federal government will pay the rest.
Mark Laroche told the city's Finance and Economic Development Committee on Friday that they're fully on board, committing to paying the $34-million cost of the LRT terminal at the airport.
He admitted that now is the time.
"If we don't do it now - to remobilize, to get other contractors to do it at a later date - we will never have it," Laroche told the committee.
"You have to do these things at the right time - now is the right time for it."
Laroche admitted he's disappointed that airport travellers will have to change trains at South Keys, but added he hopes the city may be able to arrange direct links in the future.
He also noted the new light rail link will open up the economic potential of the airport area.
"We're going to have more growth with better connections," Laroche said.
"Right now, we have an economic engine that's not well-connected to the downtown core."