Province reviewing plans for Vaughan's Kirby GO train station

Plans are hanging in the air after Ontario’s auditor general said Metrolinx has ‘inappropriately' backed Kirby GO station following an ex-minister’s meddling

Yorkregion.com
December 11, 2018
Dina Al-Shibeeb

The future of the proposed Kirby GO train station in Vaughan is uncertain following a fiery report from the province’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk.

The Ministry of Transportation said on Dec. 7 it is in the process of reviewing plans for the future GO Station.

The statement comes following the release of a scathing report by Lysyk on Dec. 5.

In that report, she said plans to build the Kirby Go train station, as well as the Lawrence East Go train station in  Toronto, were given the green light despite a previous analysis by Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, showing how costs and “disadvantages” of these two-would be stations outweighed their benefits.

Metrolinx’s initial assessment also recommended stations in these areas shouldn't be developed for another decade.

On top of that, Lysyk said former Liberal transportation minister Steven Del Duca “clearly influenced” Metrolinx to approve the proposed Kirby GO train station, located in his Vaughan riding.

In an emailed statement, MTO spokesperson Bob Nichols said MTO is “currently reviewing all expenditures and the ministry will work with Metrolinx to determine which investments will proceed.”

“We’re committed to improving and expanding public transit throughout the region, and to continue working with Metrolinx to deliver an integrated, modern transit network,” he added.

Asked whether it would still recommend going ahead with the Kirby station, Metrolinx deferred to the ministry of transportation saying, “I believe you’ve gone to the government as well and they will respond to you.”

Metrolinx is not wholly independent from the ministry but since its creation in 2006, it was supposed to be an arms-length Crown agency of the provincial government.

 “We have nothing further to add at this time,” Metrolinx said when pressed further about its position on building the Kirby station.

Developers might come into play?

York Region Media Group approached recently elected Progressive Conservative MPP Stephen Lecce, who now represents the area of Vaughan where the Kirby GO station would be built, to see of he will fight to see it get built.

Lecce, elected as MPP for King-Vaughan in June 2018, stuck to his party's position, but hinted that he'd be willing to have developers go ahead with the GO station.

"With regards to reviewing projects, the Kirby station will be reviewed, political interference notwithstanding, and will take into account our government’s new market driven approach through Transit Oriented Development,” he said.

"Options to get great value for taxpayers with developers paying to build GO Stations” will be examined, he added.

The Kirby GO station area is located within the northeast corner of Block 27 in Vaughan. The block, bounded by Jane Street to the west, Keele Street to the east, Teston Road to the south, and Kirby Road to the north, has an area of approximately 400 hectares, and is primarily rural.

However, Block 27 is identified as one of two new community areas expected to be urbanized, according to Vaughan's Official Plan.