News Release – $14 Million Spent on Incomplete Environmental Assessment of GTA West Corridor

(Queen’s Park) –Sylvia Jones MPP Dufferin-Caledon questioned the Minister of Transportation on the details of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that revealed that since 2007, the government has spent $14.5 million on an incomplete environment assessment and the expert review panel of the GTA West Corridor.

In an unprecedented move the Ministry of Transportation suspended the environmental assessment of the GTA West Corridor in December 2015. In spring 2016, the minister appointed a panel to “review the work undertaken to-date, and ensure the project still aligns with recent changes in government policy and emerging technologies.” On November 27^th, the minister announced receipt of the panel’s report, and provided a 60 day timeline until he would give an update on the future of GTA West.

“$14 million has been spent by the Minister studying the GTA West Corridor, but we still don’t have a completed environmental assessment. The responsible thing to do is to complete the environmental assessment. Landowners have been in limbo for almost 10 years, and communities across the region are unable to plan,” said Jones.

“The PC Party believes that the environmental assessment of the GTA West Corridor needs to be completed. That is why Patrick Brown and the PC Party have committed in the People’s Guarantee to “complete the environmental assessment for the GTA-West Highway Corridor,” said Jones.

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/oCn8TNvmdK8