Ontario, City of Toronto clearing roadblocks for new subways

PREMIER Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor John Tory on Monday celebrated a historic new partnership between the city and the province to build the most ambitious subway expansion in Canadian history.

Ontario is working with the City of Toronto to deliver its modern, integrated transit network so commuters can get to work on time and home to their families and loved ones quickly. This $28.5 billion plan includes four key priority transit projects: the Yonge North Subway Extension, the Eglinton West Crosstown Extension, an improved three-stop Scarborough Subway Extension, and the all-new Ontario Line.

“Our government promised the people of Ontario that we would get subways built, and get them build quickly,” said Ford. “Working with all three levels of government, we are clearing the roadblocks and getting shovels in the ground – now we are asking the federal government to commit to increasing their contribution and funding their fair share.”

“Our partnership with Toronto marks a unique and pivotal moment in the history of Toronto transit,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “We have entered into a new era of cooperation and endorsed one single unified plan for subway expansion in Toronto.”

“This is an exciting time for the people of Toronto, as we embark on the largest subway expansion plan in North America,” said Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation, GTA. “This is a win-win for everyone. But most of all it is a win for commuters in the GTHA.”

“Today’s announcement is a joint commitment to getting transit built together. I will continue to work tirelessly, as I have done over the last five years, to make sure all three governments are at the table moving transit forward as quickly as possible,” said Tory. “Over the next 20 years, Toronto’s population is projected to grow by almost one million people. We owe it to those who live in Toronto now and those who will live here in the very near future to expand our transit infrastructure and keep our existing system in a state of good repair.”

The province is investing in the construction of four new and expanded subway lines: the brand-new Ontario Line, completed by 2027; the Yonge North Subway Extension completed by 2029-30; the Eglinton West Crosstown Extension completed by 2030-31; and the three-stop Scarborough Subway Extension completed by 2029-30.