Milton to reaffirm Halton Region’s opposition to controversial GTA West highway

Thestar.com
May 5, 2021

Milton council is expected to throw its support behind the Halton Region’s opposition to the proposed GTA West highway at an upcoming meeting.

The notice of motion was introduced by Coun. Rick Di Lorenzo at the May 3 meeting.

Di Lorenzo’s motion states that the provincial government, which restarted the Highway 413 project after it was cancelled by the previous Liberal government, should shift funding priorities away from incentivizing individual travel and instead invest more in public transportation, such as transit and high-speed rail.

The motion calls for the Town of Milton to reaffirm the region’s stance in opposing the development of the new highway -- which would connect Halton Region to York Region by cutting through farmlands and environmentally sensitive lands -- as voted by Halton regional councillors back in March.

The call by the region and other Ontario municipalities for Ottawa to designate the project for an environmental assessment has been heard by Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

Wilkinson announced on May 3 that he has decided to designate the project under the federal impact assessment assessment process after “careful consideration of the available science” and based on the finding from federal departments that the project has the potential to “cause adverse direct or incidental effects” on species at risk.

The motion by Di Lorenzo will be discussed at the May 31 council meeting.