Region's backing of Yonge North Subway Extension sells out residents as 'collateral damage' critics charge

Decision casts aside concerns of neighbourhood, says community campaign fighting route alignment

Thestar.com
Feb. 14, 2022
Heidi Riedner

The region’s endorsement of the Yonge North Subway Extension derails democracy and ignores concerns about long-lasting damage to the Royal Orchard community, say Thornhill residents waging a campaign against the route that tunnels under their neighbourhood.

After more than six hours of discussion and deputations on Feb. 3, York Region Council voted 17-4 in favour Metrolinx’s of current plan and asked the provincial transit agency to consider an “enhanced” compensation package.

“The only thing that we didn’t come right out and say is that we agreed with the alignment, but I think Metrolinx all day has said this is the alignment going forward, so that’s where we’re at,” said Regional Chair Wayne Emmerson.

The decision was met with “disappointment and disgust” by the Steering Committee of the Campaign to Keep the Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE) on Yonge Street, which says elected officials cast aside the concerns of residents; consigning them to "collateral damage.”

“By accepting the Metrolinx alignment at face value, York Region councillors displayed a flagrant dereliction of their duties to protect the welfare and interests of the constituents who elected them,” said steering committee co-chair, Ian Reid.

He added it flies in the face of both Markham and Vaughan councils’ support of the initially approved alignment that continued straight up Yonge Street versus the new route that tunnels under Royal Orchard.

Reid particularly singled out Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti for leading the move to accept Metrolinx’s proposed alignment despite vowing to support residents’ concerns about “long-lasting damage to the Royal Orchard community.”

Scarpitti, who has long championed the subway extension as the single-most-important project in the region, clarified what Reid sees as a flip in his political stance, saying he supported the City of Markham’s formal rejection of the route in June because it came with conditions.

“It wasn’t just a rejection of the alignment, but a request of Metrolinx to examine alternative alignments to keep the subway on Yonge as much as possible ... to minimize any of the impacts to the existing community and compensate affected homeowners,” Scarpitti said in his remarks, adding the transit agency has done that.

He added there’s no greater commitment to a project than funding it, which is precisely what the region did with the one-per cent tax increase in the December budget toward the region’s 22-per cent portion of the subway’s $5.6 billion price tag.

Markham regional councillors Don Hamilton and Jack Heath -- who voted against the motion at regional council along with Joe Li and Vaughan member Linda Jackson -- considered it a stretch to say the tax levy commitment equated to an endorsement of the route and said more discussion was needed with Metrolinx.

“We need to honour the residents, and the compensation program needs a lot more work,” said Heath, adding when you put up $1.2 billion, you should have some say on the route.

Thornhill Coun. Keith Irish steadfastly maintains the Yonge Street alignment is clearly the “better way,” and is just as financially viable and presents fewer risks.

Numerous residents who made deputations at the meeting agree, citing concerns about vibration and noise, impacts on student learning and mental health.

That included delegates representing 350 residents in the Gazebo condominium on Yonge, who expressed vehement opposition, concerned about the devaluation of their units and, with last year’s Florida condo collapse weighing heavily on their mind, possible structural damage to the 50-year-old building.

Students at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School, and at least 450 residents, will have the subway running beneath them up to 300 times per day and almost every 90 seconds during rush hours, Reid said, adding subway riders will be travelling directly under CN’s heavy freight corridor.

Allowing the project to proceed will result in significant mental health consequences, resident Dev Chopra said, adding it is already impacting people's well-being.

“Must people die before we can get Metrolinx to pay attention?” he said. “We are not sacrificial lambs for future growth.”