York Region will push Trudeau for subways, housing, roads cash

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 22, 2015
By Jay Gutteridge

You’ll have to forgive regional chairperson Wayne Emmerson for his high hopes these days.

With Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau’s pledge to invest in major infrastructure projects, even at the expense of three years of budget deficits, and with majority Liberal governments sitting in Ottawa and Queen’s Park, Emmerson is keeping his fingers crossed that will result in federal dollars rolling in for priority projects in York.

That includes extending the Yonge subway north into the region, a bigger federal funding commitment for the extension of the Spadina subway, infrastructure money for social housing and more dollars for roads and other transit needs.

“I think all three parties (Liberal, Conservative and NDP) were trying to address our infrastructure, transit and affordable housing (needs), but we feel that maybe we’re going to be able to be fortunate with the Liberal party because we have them as federal and provincial (governments). So, we’re hoping this will be a benefit to us to get money for those major projects,” he said.

“All parties were very interested in putting more money on the table, but I guess when you have Liberals provincially and federally (to work together), I’m hoping it will be a big plus for York Region. We have seven members of the Liberal party. I’m hoping it’s going to be a big benefit to the region because there are some issues to deal with going forward.”

About two weeks before the election, Emmerson and other mayors and chairs in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area made a pitch to get infrastructure funding on the election radar screen by writing a letter to the leaders of the Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green parties.

Complaining the federal government has failed to properly support communities’ infrastructure needs in the past, they urged the leaders to commit to long-term funding.

“Over the past years, we have separately and collectively expressed our profound concern over the infrastructure deficit in our region and our need for a fiscal partnership with the federal government to help eliminate this deficit,” the Oct. 6 letter said.

York will benefit from a Liberal government in Ottawa, according to Lindsay Maskell, vice-president of public affairs with government relations and public relations firm Enterprise Canada and a Liberal insider who has worked in the premier’s office and as chief of staff to provincial cabinet ministers.

Not only is York sending seven Liberal MPs to Ottawa who can push for regional priorities, but Trudeau has a very good working relationship with Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, who is also MP for Vaughan, she said.

Del Duca has hosted a meeting with Trudeau where major transit infrastructure needs were discussed, Maskell said.

Trudeau also recognizes York as a growing region that is “hugely important” in the economic development of Ontario, she said.

Trudeau’s commitment to prioritize investment in infrastructure over the need for balanced budgets resonated with younger voters, Seneca College political expert professor Marc Menard said.

“A lot of people who vote Conservative, just based on the demographics, tend to be older Canadians who don’t depend on the TTC or transit the way students do and these things matter to them,” he said.

“It (inadequate transit service) sucks time out of their day, so they really were interested in voting. Plus, their votes mattered this election. This election was thought to be so close that every vote would count and they kept on hearing that and so they came out (to vote on the issues that matter to them).”