Poll shows 905ers don’t support Hwy. 413 as Markham council joins Vaughan, King in opposition to new road

'Very grateful to #Markham Council for voting to #Stopthe413 today,' Vaughan Coun. Marilyn Iafrate says

Thestar.com
Dec. 20, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Markham council on Dec. 14 has officially joined Vaughan and King in withdrawing its support for the proposed Hwy. 413, the same day a poll showed that people in the 905 region don’t support the new corridor.

With its unanimous vote, Markham council is now lending its weight to the call for a federal environmental impact study on Hwy. 413.

In its motion, Markham is also asking the province to undertake an economic evaluation and time travel analysis of the Hwy. 407 toll route versus the proposed one, including potential for congestion and non-peak hour pricing or other highway management alternatives.

Markham also explained how if the proposed highway doesn't go through, the funding should be "redirected to provide for rapid transit in the regions of York and Peel, such as investment in the 407 Transitway, improved GO service on the Kitchener and Milton lines, and a new GO Transit line to Bolton."

Initially, the highway was reportedly worth $6 billion in taxpayer money but so far, there is no exact figure on how much it would cost.

Of all of the York Region municipalities, Vaughan, which is the most impacted by this highway, had its five local councillors voting to withdraw their endorsement of the highway dating back to 2015 while its three regional councillors and mayor wanted to continue their support.

After Vaughan, King also withdrew its support for the proposed highway, putting both municipalities at odds with York Region, which is still endorsing the freeway.

Now with Markham voting against, the divide between local councils and the region widens.

It appears these municipalities are also acting in line with popular opinion against the highway.

On Dec. 14, a new EKOS poll supplied by the David Suzuki Foundation showed the vast majority of Ontarians want the province to protect nature and avoid building highways in the Greenbelt.

Almost nine in 10 residents (85 per cent) believe “the provincial government should do more to protect Ontario’s forests and wildlife” and 76 per cent agree “the Greenbelt is no place for a new four-to-six lane highway,” read a press release.

“The results suggest Ontarians hold views strongly at odds with those of their provincial government,” said Gideon Forman, a policy analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation. “No matter where they live, most folks do not support a mega-highway through the Greenbelt. Quite the opposite: they want the province to do more to protect wild spaces.”

The poll found support for greater forest protection extends to all regions of the province, including the vote-rich “905-belt.”

The results come as the Ontario government ramps up plans to build Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, two expressways that would destroy portions of the Greenbelt north of Toronto.

“Even in 905 -- where Highway 413 would be built -- 87 per cent agree the provincial government should do more to protect nature,” Forman said. “If the province insists on moving ahead with this unnecessary highway, I think they’ll face stiff opposition from local residents.”

The survey also found 75 per cent of respondents believe the provincial government should treat climate change as an emergency.

Vaughan Coun. Marilyn Iafrate told her counterparts in Markham “thank you” in a tweet Dec. 14 for rejecting the proposed Highway 413, the same day a poll showed that people in the 905 region don’t support the new corridor.

“Very grateful to #Markham Council for voting to #Stopthe413 today,” Iafrate wrote, whose ward would see parts of its protected Greenbelt slashed if the new highway goes through.

“On behalf of my community of Maple and Kleinburg which is most impacted, thank YOU Markham council,” she added, noting that only Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and councillor Andrew Keyes who voted to support the highway.