Premier meets with GTHA mayors at summit


680news.com/Citynews.ca
March 24, 2015
By Mark Douglas

Almost every mayor from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas got bring forth their issues to Premier Kathleen Wynne on Tuesday at the first of many closed-door summits.

Public transit was the number one issue during the two hour meeting.

Mayor John Tory said overall the meeting was good but added that there was no talk of any firm commitments from the province on his SmartTrack plan.

“I don’t think we were seeking any,” Tory explained. “That wasn’t the purpose of the meeting.”

Transportation minister Steve del Duca said “stay tuned” for transit commitments in a couple months.

The summit was intended to be a think tank where they could discuss such topics as reducing gridlock, planning for growth and infrastructure as well as promoting economic growth.

“The discussion with the municipalities is about how do we move forward and what are the projects that we need to focus on going forward,” Wynne explained. ”

She said this first meeting was thanks in large part to former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, who will now be working with the premier as an advisor on GTA issues.

“(I’ll be) giving input in regard to the mayors of the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario really,” she explained.

The premier has promised to meet with the mayors at least twice a year going forward.

“I believe that a new era of deeper co-operation is unfolding across the GTHA and that subsequent meetings will provide opportunities to build our partnership and reinforce its importance. I look forward to working together with municipalities to deliver concrete results for the people of this region,” Wynne said.