Ford confirms Ontario election call, announces tunnel extension plan for unfinished LRT

Ontarians volition spell to the polls successful February, Premier Doug Ford said Friday portion announcing his government’s program to amended transit successful Peel Region.

Ford confirmed Global News’ Thursday reporting that sources said the premier would spell to Lt. Gov. Edith Dumont connected Jan. 29 to dissolve his government, which would let for an predetermination to instrumentality spot connected Feb. 27.

The confirmation comes aft weeks of rampant speculation Ford would caput to the polls early, amidst a menace of tariffs from the United States that has allowed the premier to instrumentality a nationalist enactment role.

“We request a mandate from the radical to combat against Donald Trump’s tariffs,” Ford said.

“The onslaught is coming against our families, our businesses, our communities, and with a beardown mandate, we volition beryllium capable to combat with Donald Trump to marque definite we halt the tariffs and marque definite that we springiness certainty to the radical of Ontario.”

During the greeting quality conference, Ford said helium was readying to physique a passageway to widen the Hurontario LRT, besides known arsenic the Hazel McCallion Line, northwards from Mississauga and nether downtown Brampton. The authorities said the hold to downtown Brampton is astir 4 kilometres.

“By tunnelling the Hazel McCallion Line into downtown Brampton, we’re helping tens of thousands of regular riders link seamlessly to world-class transit that volition widen crossed the region,” said Ford.

The committedness adds item to a committedness the premier has already made to widen the airy obstruction way northwards into Brampton and adhd a loop successful downtown Mississauga.

The authorities said the adjacent steps impact “detailed readying and design” of the extensions including the underground passageway from the Brampton Gateway Terminal to downtown Brampton. They added Metrolinx volition optimize operation and the route’s alignment to amended transportation to the Brampton Innovation District GO Station and conscionable Brampton’s “vision” for Main Street and the downtown core.

“As 1 of the fastest-growing cities successful our province, Brampton residents merit entree to world-class transit to conscionable the needs of a vibrant, thriving community,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, curate of transportation.

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The task was owed to beryllium completed successful 2024 but failed to conscionable that date, a caller estimation has not been published for the airy obstruction route.

Ford has announced a bid of large projects during his astir 7 years arsenic Ontario premier.

He promised 2 caller highways — Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass — which could yet participate superior operation successful 2025. Another program to passageway an expressway nether Highway 401 has not started construction, nor has a feasibility survey into the task begun.

Ford’s signature Ontario Line subway successful Toronto is nether operation and owed successful the aboriginal 2030s.

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT and Finch West LRT some failed to unfastened successful 2024 but could beryllium acceptable for opening dates successful 2025, though the authorities has not confirmed their completion yet.

The campaign-style announcement connected Friday astatine Brampton City Hall was made arsenic the authorities attempts to wide the decks of planned announcements earlier it enters caretaker mode up of a imaginable aboriginal election.

Later connected Friday, astir 11 a.m., the premier is acceptable to question northbound to Caledon, Ont., for a akin announcement. There helium volition “mark progress” connected a caller trauma centre for archetypal responders.