TORONTO — Nadia Todorova, executive director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), released a statement in response to the new Ontario-Toronto funding deal, saying Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s agreement is recognition by both governments on the need for sustained and focused investment to build and maintain critical infrastructure in a state-of-good-repair.
“The uploading of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway to the province provides leadership to ensure upkeep of these critical infrastructure assets and keep people and goods flowing throughout the region while affording Toronto municipal coffers substantial relief to address its state-of-good-repair backlog,” Todorova explained.
“It is imperative that the City of Toronto keeps its infrastructure capital deficit top of mind when allocating the provincial funding received through this new deal.”
RCCAO plans to analyze the implementing legislation and will continue working collaboratively with decision-makers on the issues.
“We urge the federal government to come to the table and build on this positive momentum,” said Todorova.
As part of the “new deal,” the province will also give Toronto up to $1.2 billion in operating funding over the next three years, including support for two light rail lines, money for transit operations and safety and money for more homeless shelters.
On the city’s end, it has accepted that the province is going ahead to acquire the land it needs for its plans at Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront, plans that include a privately owned large waterpark and spa being built by European company Therme.
- With files from The Canadian Press
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