Tory brings SmartTrack plan to Ottawa

Mayor John Tory headed to Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his SmartTrack transit plan with federal leaders.

During his time in the nation’s capital Tory met with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Transport Minister Lisa Raitt to pitch his transit plan and look for support for Toronto’s public transit needs.

The mayor also addressed the city’s infrastructure and housing needs.

He is scheduled to return to Toronto on Wednesday.

Before travelling to Ottawa, Tory held a news conference to talk about his objectives for the Ottawa meetings.

“I think infrastructure of the kind that we’re talking about — pipes under the ground, water mains, sewage pipes and so on is often less attractive for governments to address because it’s not sexy, nobody sees it and there is no ribbon cutting, however it’s essential infrastructure to the wellbeing of people who live in cities across Canada, including Toronto.”

He’ll also check in with Toronto MPs.

He said it makes sense for him to meet with federal politicians in Ottawa instead of relying on their schedules for a meeting the next time they’re in Toronto.

Tory previously met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December.

Last week, Toronto city council approved a $1.6-million study on SmartTrack — which was the cornerstone of Tory’s election campaign — after council voted not to reopen the Scarborough subway debate.

The 53-kilometre SmartTrack regional rail project would see existing GO tracks electrified to add 22 new surface subway stops. It would connect Pearson airport to Union Station and then up to Scarborough and Unionville.

The plan is to build the line on 95 per cent existing tracks within seven years.

The cost of the line would be $8-billion split three ways among the city, the province and federal government.

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