Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a list of projects he wants the newly-elected Liberal government to consider, including a controversial, long-term plan to dig a tunnelled expressway under Highway 401.
On Monday, Ford wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney to identify the “nation-building” projects in Ontario he would like the federal government to support by streamlining approvals.
The letter includes gaining all-season access to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, new nuclear generation projects and a new deep-sea port in James Bay.
Also on the list of projects Ford said would take the country forward was his government’s controversial plan to build a 50-kilometre expressway below Highway 401.
“As the premier stated in his letter, it’s a nation-building project, one of the largest projects that will probably be undertaken in Ontario and maybe even across the country,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on Monday.
“I think it’s important that all levels of government support that.”
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Ford first announced his plan to build a tunnel under Highway 401 in September last year.
He said a two-year feasibility project study would determine the final scope of the project, which he said would be completed regardless of the outcome of the investigation into how doable it was.
The plan itself, as Global News revealed, came from a major building company, which pitched versions of it to the City of Toronto and successive provincial governments.
Opposition critics said the Ford government’s decision to put the tunnel plan on the list of nation-building projects was unwise.
“Oh my goodness, honestly, this is outrageous and ridiculous,” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said.
“At this time, when workers in Windsor, in Oshawa, across the province, their jobs are being cut, they’re losing their jobs right now, Doug Ford is prioritizing his fantasy tunnel,” Stiles said.
“You want to talk about some Canadian taxpayer and Ontario taxpayer dollars into infrastructure? Let’s start with building truly affordable housing in this province.”
The Ontario Liberals suggested their federal cousins wouldn’t be interested in helping with the plan.
“I’m not sure the fantasy tunnel will be on the prime minister’s list of properties,” Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said. “The reality is, the cost of that tunnel could bankrupt this province.”
Ford’s letter also included two-way, all-day GO train service across the Greater Toronto Area.
It did not feature either the Bradford Bypass or Highway 413, priority highway projects which are significantly closer to construction than the Highway 401 tunnel.
Sarkaria suggested the latter may not reach the ambitious threshold of a Highway 401 tunnel.
“We’re making great progress on the 413, but when we’re looking at the nation-building projects, I think the tunnel really sticks out with respect to the impact it will have,” he said.
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