Spacing contributing editor Steve Munro, whose active transit blog many of you likely read, recently posted on the new Kitchener-Waterloo LRT line their council has decided to have built. For those who have been following Toronto’s funding boondogal for the new streetcars might find this interesting. Steve Munro writes that:
No sooner had Waterloo approved the LRT line, but local Cambridge MP Gary Goodyear announced that Ottawa would contribute $160-million to the project whose total estimated cost is $790-million. This took Regional Chair Ken Seiling completely by surprise. Support also came from Kitchener MP Stephen Woodworth who pointed out that this money will come from the “Build Canada Fundâ€, not the “Stimulus Fund†and therefore the project is not constrained by the latter’s March 2011 cutoff.
A letter from MP John Mackay sent to both Spacing and Steve, posted in full on stevemunro.ca, gives an account of the likely political motivations behind the decision.
Photo from Benjamin Bach
12 comments
A couple of points:
First, Toronto in fact received $333 million from the Building Canada Fund towards the Sheppard East LRT. See here:
http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1480
Second, John Mackay makes the excellent point that Kitchener benefits from the federal government because seats in that area are highly competitive. Meanwhile, Toronto votes so reliably for the incumbent, be it Liberal or NDP (the only reliably competitive riding in the 416 is Trinity-Spadina), that we get the shaft from all the major parties. If you want Toronto to be lavished with federal money, be more strategic: vote to regularly kick the bums out.
Have to agree with Andrew,
The constant needless attacks by Miller against the Feds not only results in funding shortfalls but makes Toronto look like the crybaby of the Nation to every other City and Province meaning that money to Toronto is a loss of votes to any Party. Even with Liberals in power Toronto id not get money.
Most relevant is that the Feds realize that Toronto’s union labour restrictions mean that any money spent on Toronto will result in funds being skimmed of through Union Promotion and Marketing Funds that will be used against them in elections.
Vote to kick the Miller bums out.
The problem is that the bum in waiting doesn’t seem to rate transit much.
http://stevemunro.ca/?p=1708
McD,
Interesting but invalid anti-Miller rant. I am by no means a Miller supporter, however I fail to see what kind of “constant needless attacks” from Miller that you speak of. Yes, he bungled the stimulus funding application, and Baird was swift to anger, but in the end it was a polite letter to Miller that forced a resolution. It’s a working relationship, the “1 cent of GST NOW” campaign is in the past.
As for the K-W LRT situation, politics played a factor, but if it means that project gets done, then I’m all for it.
McD> Toronto is short changed by Ottawa at every turn. We get less than we put in, even after being nice Toronto and sharing a bit. Too bad we seem populated by populists that choose Miller to attack instead doing their fiscal homework and demanding equality. Yeah like any other Mayor is going to get a fairer shake. dream on.
Just to put the Fed-Toronto relationship in context, look at what effective collaboration can do: McGuinty spends his way through our transit shopping list and Miller thanks him in Transit City advertising. Its a win-win thats achieved because the Province has recognized Toronto as a legitimate partner.
I’d argue this can be the case regardless of political stripes – left, right and centre acknowledge the importance of this city…it is just a question of who is prepared to put the money on the table.
Many people come from outside Toronto to work, shop, etc. Lots of them use TTC. They should bear this in mind in federal elections. The Tories may have no direct incentive to help Toronto but adjacent ridings are very much in play.
One of the things that Spacing readers may not know about what it calls the “Kitchener-Waterloo LRT line” is that it is just that. The proposal is a Regional one, but will service only the north part of the region, essentially leaving the second-largest city in the Region (Cambridge) with only an enhanced bus service. And if you’re talking about politics, Cambridge elects Conservative MP Gary Goodyear, much good as it does.
D.B.> Gary Goodyear doesn’t seem to believe in evolution — perhaps he doesn’t believe in public transit either.
Mark, Shawn — this is exactly my point. Is it more likely that Gary Goodyear is excited about LRT, or is it more likely that he’s excited about keeping his job? Especially given his narrow margin of victory in the last election.
If Ignatieff doesn’t care about Toronto’s transit system, it’s because he doesn’t have to care — he can count on 20-odd free seats in the 416, no mater what, so why promise anything to Toronto? Like Mr. Goodyear, let’s make him care — in the next election, vote for the guy/gal with the best chance of beating the incumbent (in most cases you would be voting for the NDP).
Am I missing something here, or is the provincial two-thirds funding not the real issue? It seems that the pots are calling the kettles black. As Andrew pointed out Toronto has already been the beneficiary of the BCF.
scottd,
just how do you calculate that “We get less than we put in”? Are you saying that situation is unique to Toronto?
Joel,
Why are my comments interesting and why a ‘rant?’
Why do you not ask me why I hold my opinions on the Construction industry that is Miller’s dirty little secret. It is simple fact that Toronto is considered a self absorbed crybaby by other Cities in the Province and the Nation as a whole and Miller just makes it worse.