Toronto Receives $660M for Subway Expansion

[CaptainYooh]

from Globe & Mail this morning:

City of Toronto has received $660M for its subway expansion from Building Canada Fund. The $14B Fund has been created earlier this year under Minister Flaherty, personal friend of Mayor Rob Ford. Answering questions from the press about how did it happen so fast and so easy, Flaherty responded: "Because the mayor wrote to us and asked."

I guess raising property taxes is not the only option available to municipalities. Sometimes one just needs to know the right people...

[Tyler]

Hey Ottawa, can we get $660 for our LRT?

Um.. why would we give you money when you'll vote Conservative anyway?

/end

[Oil Stain]

How does the rest of the $14 billion get spent?

[vanisleflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

How does the rest of the $14 billion get spent?

I believe that the rest of it is earmarked for Conservative Senator's personal travel expenses.

[Canada 02]

The fund is the responsibility of Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel. However, his department has not yet announced the program’s criteria, which need to be negotiated with the provinces.

“Provinces, territories and municipalities have to wait until the launch to apply,” said Marie-Josée Paquette, a spokeswoman for Mr. Lebel. She added that the federal government’s pledge to Toronto will depend on whether the proposal meets the program’s rules.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle14587934/

[iggy_oi]

Wow that's a lot of foot longs, wait what's this thread about?

[Julio]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

from Globe & Mail this morning:

City of Toronto has received $660M for its subway expansion from Building Canada Fund. The $14B Fund has been created earlier this year under Minister Flaherty, personal friend of Mayor Rob Ford. Answering questions from the press about how did it happen so fast and so easy, Flaherty responded: "Because the mayor wrote to us and asked."

I guess raising property taxes is not the only option available to municipalities. Sometimes one just needs to know the right people...

Yes, the fed's have not given Calgary Transit any money:
http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/1250...al-partnership

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/s...expansion.html

[Muta]

Well, Toronto is the biggest city in Canada and perhaps the most important in terms of business, size, economies... I don't have a problem with this. $660M is alot of money, but in the context of $14B, it's not that much for a project that serves an area where a huge chunk of the Canadian population lives.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Muta

Well, Toronto is the biggest city in Canada and perhaps the most important in terms of business, size, economies... I don't have a problem with this. $660M is alot of money, but in the context of $14B, it's not that much for a project that serves an area where a huge chunk of the Canadian population lives.

Maybe so. But wouldn't it be more transparent and fair if they had announced the program first and then had all municipalities applying for the funds at the same time? This arrangement smacks of cronyism. I hate that.

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by Muta

Well, Toronto is the biggest city in Canada and perhaps the most important in terms of business, size, economies... I don't have a problem with this. $660M is alot of money, but in the context of $14B, it's not that much for a project that serves an area where a huge chunk of the Canadian population lives.

FWIW, its 14 billion in 10 years....that wasn't entirely clear without reading the article.

[CaptainYooh]

It's complicated.

The $14-billion Building Canada Fund is part of a larger $47-billion Building Canada Plan, which includes $21.8-billion in transfers to municipalities from the federal gas tax, $10.4-billion in goods and services tax rebates for municipalities and $1.25-billion for public-private partnerships.

[Northendzone]

That is easily enough money to build a subway sand which long enough to cover both sides the the leafs Stanley cup parade route......