Vaughan, King Township dispute best route for proposed GTA-West highway

Lobbyists for landowners engaged politicians on future of prime development land

Yorkregion.com
March 19, 2020
Kim Zarzour

Which is the best route for the new GTA West Highway — south through a planned development area in Vaughan, or a more costly route north, across environmentally-sensitive land?

The municipalities of Vaughan and King have opposing viewpoints. The former wants to protect employment and residential lands, the latter wants to save money and the environment.

Both are sending their opinions to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation before the province confirms its selected route this spring.

The proposed Hwy. 413 is a 50-kilometre long four- to six-lane provincial highway extending from Hwy. 400 in York Region to Hwy. 401 in Halton Region.

Currently the ministry’s “technically preferred route” takes the road south of Nobleton, but on Nov. 19, Vaughan council approved a motion asking the ministry to opt instead for a route further to the north.

According to a statement by the city, the unanimously approved motion aims to mitigate impacts to the city’s existing residential neighbourhoods, planned employment lands and future residential areas in the North Kleinburg-Nashville Secondary Plan area.

On Jan. 16, the Region of York council also voiced the opinion that the route should avoid those Vaughan areas slated for development but, at the same time, should work to mitigate costs to the environment.

King Township council’s motion noted the province’s studies show the northerly route would have highest construction cost, the longest combined structure length and significant issues related to the crossing of the Humber River.

On Jan. 28, King council voted to support the ministry’s preferred route further south.

As a member of the regional council, King Mayor Steve Pellegrini said he must support the region’s decision, but as a representative of King — “the greenest municipality" — and board member of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), he said he is compelled to speak for the environment.

“King is renowned for its respect for natural heritage and I couldn’t sit back,” he said. “At the end of the day, this is going to cost everyone and the environment.”

A staff report presented to the TRCA in late January said the highway would cut through the southern section of the Nashville Conservation Reserve, an important migratory corridor, which supports a wide variety of wildlife and provides important recreational and natural resources.

The ministry’s preferred southerly route, as supported by King Township, would have a smaller area of impact compared to the northerly route recommended by Vaughan, which would involve the removal of about 87.8 hectares of forest meadow and treed swamp and 11.7 hectares of wetland, the report said. It should only be selected if appropriate measures were applied to minimize the impact.

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said his city believes the northern alternative is the only viable option “to ensure our priorities are supported and the growth of our city remains aligned to our great vision. I think this could be a win-win situation. The province could get their highway and we could get the location that we deem to be the one that is in keeping with the way we want to develop our city.”

The City of Vaughan appears to have faced lobbying on the issue from Counsel Public Affairs, an agency representing about 15 different corporations known as Block 66 West Landowners’ Group.

Block 66 owns approximately 122 hectares of land in the northern part of the city bounded by Major MacKenzie Drive, Hwy. 50, Nashville Road and the hydro corridor. The northern portion of the subject lands are affected by the province’s GTA West Transportation Corridor Protection Area.

Counsel Public Affairs is listed twice in the Vaughan lobbyist registry but the "date" and “issue” subject lines are left blank.

The organization is also registered as lobbyist with the Ontario Integrity Commissioners, reporting activities that include “engaging government officials to discuss infrastructure requirements for future development in Vaughan, including the GTA West Highway Corridor."

Speaking before the TRCA, Vaughan regional councillor Linda Jackson said “all 'round, people want this built.”

Usually, Jackson said, “everyone — residents, councillors, developers — is fighting, but this was almost a kumbaya moment, everyone holding hands, so supportive of moving this forward.

“I appreciate the environmental concerns, but there’s a bigger concern — a financial concern, and it’s getting people moving.”

Regional chair Wayne Emmerson concedes there are opposing views in the region.

“We have nine municipalities and I think that sometimes it does happen that some municipalities don’t see the same way,” he said at the Feb. 6 council meeting. “King has put their resolution forward and Vaughan has put its resolution forward and [the province] will do what they see fit.”

The province is currently in the planning phase of the Environmental Assessment, with completion scheduled for the end of 2022. Preliminary design will begin following approval from the Ministry of Environment.