Highway 413 plans can move forward without federal environmental assessment, court rules

A federal court has paved the way for Highway 413 to be paved without the stumbling block of a major environmental assessment.

A joint release Monday by the province of Ontario and federal government said, “At Ontario and Canada’s request, the Federal Court has ordered that the Highway 413 Project’s designation under the Impact Assessment Act be set aside.”

That means the project can proceed without a federal environmental impact study. Instead, a working group will recommend appropriate measures to minimize environmental impacts.

Ontario Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, told CityNews that the court’s order “really gives the people of Ontario the certainty that Highway 413 is going to built.

“We are really happy to be in this position to advance Highway 413 and get residents of the GTA where they need to go faster.”

“I drive into the city every single day and every minute stuck behind the wheel is a minute that should be spent with your family or getting to work quicker or getting to a Jays game quicker,” he said.

Environmental impacts have been at the forefront of the proposed 52-kilometre highway that would connect the regions of York, Peel, and Halton.

But the province and federal government say they’ve come to an agreement on how to move forward to get the highway built while addressing those concerns.

Environmental impacts have been at the forefront of the proposed 52-kilometre highway that would connect the regions of York, Peel, and Halton.

But the province and federal government say they’ve come to an agreement on how to move forward on those concerns.

“Through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, the two levels of government have established a joint working group in which provincial and federal officials will recommend appropriate measures to minimize environmental impacts in areas of federal environmental jurisdiction,” a release reads.

The project is still subject to Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act and other provincial and federal protections, including those under the Fisheries Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and the Species at Risk Act.

“Both Canada and Ontario have robust and transparent regulatory regimes to ensure the environment is protected before major projects are developed,” the release adds.

Highway 413 is scheduled to be built at a cost of $10 billion and, according to the province, will save drivers up to 30 minutes each way on their commute, adding up to one hour per day and five hours per week in people’s schedules.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is one of its vocal opponents.

“We’re hoping the federal government doesn’t abandon their responsibility to protect endangered species, will pave over 2,000 acres of prime farmland and 400 acres of the Greenbelt, and cross 85 waterways that are essential to our drinking water in the GTA,” Schreiner said last month.

Premier Doug Ford has touted that the highway project will create up to 3,500 jobs each year and generate up to $350 million in annual GDP, along with shortening commutes.