Ontario government earmarks billions for next wave of Toronto subway, LRT construction
By The Canadian Press
Construction Financing Infrastructure P3sThe Liberal's latest development plan will inject a further $9 billion toward building large scale transit projects across the city, including the so-called Downtown Relief Line
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne made the announcement alongside Toronto Mayor John Tory May 3. PHOTO: Premier of Ontario Photography/Flickr
TORONTO—Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says her government is allocating the provincial share of funding needed to start building several major transit projects in Toronto, including a downtown subway line meant to reduce the strain on existing lines.
Wynne says $9 billion has been earmarked for the so-called Relief Line, the Yonge North subway extension and the Waterfront light rail transit service, though she could not say how much was going to each project.
She says the funding was included in her Liberal government’s spring budget, tabled just months before a provincial election.
The fiscal blueprint did not specify what infrastructure projects the money would be spent on.
The premier says the provincial money will get “shovels in the ground,” adding she’ll work with Toronto Mayor John Tory to help secure federal funding.
Wynne also suggested transit might not flourish as much if a different party forms government in June.
“We can’t allow Toronto to be dragged back into endless debates,” she said. “The days of throwing out plans and starting from scratch, those have to be over. We have to just continue to move forward.”
