Despite Vaughan's official opposition, York Region council continues support of Hwy. 413

Thestar.com
March 22, 2021

After a long debate, York Region council voted March 18 against a motion to rescind its support of the GTA West highway.

The highway is projected to cost at least $6 billion.

The motion was brought by King Township Mayor Steve Pellegrini, who vowed that his municipality is going to withdraw its earlier support for the freeway, also known as Highway 413.

Pellegrini said his township will be withdrawing its support for the highway due to the proximity of the already under-utilized Highway 407, a toll road.

“And with all due respect to my neighbours to the south, I love them, the route keeps changing, and at some point, we're going to stand on our environmental platform and say this is not right,” he added.

The motion saw 12 York Region council members voting against it and eight supporting it, with Richmond Hill regional Coun. Carmine Perrelli abstaining.

York council also endorsed a motion calling for a federal environment assessment over the highway.

Highway 413 passes through Vaughan and is in the vicinity of King. Vaughan withdrew its support March 10, despite support from its regional councillors, who reiterated their endorsement for the highway March 18.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti is an ardent supporter of the highway, saying the Greater Toronto Area’s population is expected to almost double, reaching 14 million in 50 years, necessitating a long-term lens for the highway.

Scarpitti rejected that the vote in favour of the proposed highway is an indicator of support of urban sprawl, a standpoint taken by the opponents of the corridor.

“We are the poster child of intensification,” Scarpitti said, adding not everybody is going to live in highrise buildings.

Scarpitti cited how thousands of whitebelt acres in the GTA are ready to be developed for the mushrooming population, and businesses sorely need a new freeway to transport their goods.

The vote took place after a representative from the Ministry of Transportation gave a presentation.

The representative said Highway 413 is still in its preliminary design phase and expected to be completed in 2022. There is also no final cost attached to its construction and there is no definite answer if it’s going to be toll free.

Pellegrini's motion was heavily supported by Newmarket Mayor John Taylor and Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas.

Taylor described how through this public engagement and protest, specifically from Vaughan and King residents, he has learned more about the proposed highway.

“I never remember us sitting down and getting all the merits,” he said of York Region’s previous endorsement of the highway. "I didn't give it much thought, but should have.”

Vaughan local Coun. Marilyn Iafrate has previously said the proposed GTA West highway should be stopped, since it would cross 60 per cent of the protected Greenbelt and 40 per cent of provincially identified prime agriculture land.

Meanwhile, Vaughan Regional Coun. Linda Jackson expressed that she is in full support of the highway process and the request for a federal EA.

In an email from Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette on Feb. 23, he informed York Region Media that his municipality has been against the highway for a very long time.

“Halton Hills has officially opposed this highway with a resolution unanimously supported by council,” he said. “Also, last year I brought a resolution to Halton Region council which was also supported by the majority of regional councillors.”

Two days later, on Feb. 25, Mississauga formally opposed the new 400-series GTA highway, citing similar reasons to Vaughan’s local councillors. They said the new freeway will cut through “agricultural, natural heritage and environmentally sensitive lands,” axing the equivalent of 13.6 functioning farms