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The unique deal Ottawa struck to get its light-rail system built is keeping us from finding out exactly why we’re getting the thing so late.

The deal with the Rideau Transit Group, a consortium of tunnelling, building, track and train companies, was supposed to be a good deal because RTG had the know-how and flexibility to adapt if things went wrong, and powerful financial incentives to stick to schedules.

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The deal also thew a big thick blanket of obscurity over what RTG is up to. The company has almost never said anything publicly about anything since the day in 2013 when the city picked it to design, build, finance and maintain the light-rail line through downtown. Indeed, it’s contractually forbidden to. The city government does the talking.

This was minimally acceptable as long as everything was on time and on budget. Now that the LRT is late, it’s a problem.

The only person councillors get to confront about the delay is John Manconi, the city’s general manager of transportation. He delivered the news to city council’s finance committee Monday morning that the extension RTG got from June to November still won’t be enough to produce a functioning light-rail system. He’s not sure when it’ll be ready. This winter, he hopes.