Hamiltonians react to the Ontario government’s plan to cancel LRT project
- Craig Clark
- 17 Dec 2019
Yesterday, Hamilton was rocked by the surprise announcement that the Ontario Government was cancelling the proposed light rail train line downtown.
Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced that the project would be cancelled due to the rising costs after a third party review estimated the project would cost $2.85 billion, further increasing the figure to $5.55 billion once 30 years’ of provincial and municipal operations were also accounted for.
Hamiltonians took no time to speak up on social media about their frustration with the provincial government. Hamilton Mountain MP Scott Duvall cited that the city is losing hundreds of potential jobs in the area.
Doug Ford’s decision to cancel the Hamilton LRT Project is shameful and will cost our city good paying local jobs. Careless and short-sighted cuts are quickly becoming the calling card of this government. #YesLRT #HamOnt https://t.co/wNCZxtP4hc
— Scott Duvall (@sduvall07) December 16, 2019
A lot of the criticism of the cancellation of the project, that had a budget approved as recently as April, says that the future of the city has been greatly affected by this decision.
Doug Ford & Caroline Mulroney have tried to rip the heart & soul out of Hamilton. This is a cruel, destructive & backwards step by a government bent on snuffing out the hope & optimism of the hard-working people of Hamilton.https://t.co/QQyJywO9ju #onpoli #cdnpoli #hamont
— Michael Coteau (@coteau) December 16, 2019
Let me be clear: I’m 100% committed to funding the Hamilton LRT. This is the right transit solution for our city, and I’ll fight like hell to make it happen. #Hamont #ONpoli #LRT #Transit
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) May 18, 2018
Others were questioning the math and how the budget had actually been determined. Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne had allowed a $1 billion budget and the third party review under the Ford government projected more than five times that determination.
Ottawa LRT = $2.1 bil
Waterloo LRT = $0.8 bil
Hurontario LRT = $1.6 bilAlleged cost of Hamilton LRT went from $1 bil ➡️ $3 bil overnight.
It's not our teachers' math skills that I'm concerned about, @fordnation.
— Bianca Caramento (@BCaramento) December 17, 2019
NEW: Here is the Ford government's math for its $5.5 billion price tag on the Hamilton LRT:
•$2.85 B capital construction costs
•$765 M other capital costs (incl. property acquisition)
•$980 M provincial operating costs
•$950 M municipal operating costs #onpoli #hamont pic.twitter.com/0CtHtjeIFQ— Mike Crawley (@CBCQueensPark) December 16, 2019
Some people claim Hamilton has been overlooked by the provincial government for a long time. Mayor Fred Eisenberger was one of the most surprised as he addressed the public yesterday.
“This is a betrayal by the province to the city of Hamilton. This will not only hurt Hamilton’s economy, but Ontario’s economy,” said the mayor.
“The message to the world is that Ontario is an unreliable partner. Ontario is not a place where you can do business because of the Ford government.”
However, not everyone saw the cancellation of the LRT project as a negative for the city. Some small business owners are happy the project has been canned because the road in front of their business won’t be torn up for months affecting customer access.
For all the noise being made against the Hamilton LRT cancellation. There are just as many who are thrilled it isn’t moving ahead. Including biz owners, mountain and airport residents.
— Alex Pierson (@AlexpiersonAMP) December 17, 2019
No matter how you spin this bombshell, the news has certainly affected the future of the city.
What’s your take on this? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
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