Ontario to provide two-thirds of Scarborough subway cost

The province will pick up two-thirds of the cost of the Scarborough subway extension — less than what Queen’s Park had promised to replace the SRT.

“Based on the budget given to us by the TTC, [the two-thirds] is $1.4 billion,” Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray told reporters at the Kennedy GO Station on Thursday.

He said the federal government should pick up the remainder.

“Clearly we need to find more money…if our friends in Ottawa want to come to the table, this is their big chance to step up,” Murray said.

The subway plan that Toronto city council agreed to on Wednesday after a two-day debate was dependent on $1.8 billion from the already-approved light-rail transit (LRT) plan.

Coun. Karen Stintz immediately took to Twitter after Murray’s announcement to question the missing $400 million.

“The Provincial commitment to replace the SRT was always $1.8 billion. It was a Metrolinx number. The subway needs the full contribution,” she wrote.

“It would be in everyone’s best interests for Province to confirm their $1.8B before Aug1 byelections. Council said: No $1.8B, no subway,” Stintz added.

When asked about the discrepancy, Murray told reporters: “I don’t take my marching orders from city hall.”

He said his role was to secure money from the federal government and urged Mayor Rob Ford to do the same.

Murray was responding to council’s decision to scrap the existing, province-approved LRT plan in favour of the subway extensions.

The council decision on subways was contingent on federal funding, which is not guaranteed. The city will have to present a sound business model and apply for federal infrastructure funding.

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