Mr. Speaker, in 2007, with the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada announced the FLOW initiative to improve transit and strengthen the economy in the GTA. This initiative included a written commitment to extend Highway 407 from Brock Road in Pickering to Highway 35-115. The Government of Ontario agreed to a fixed completion date of 2013.
However, in June, the Government of Ontario announced that the extension would only be completed on an “as needed basis”.
This extension is extremely important for Oshawa and the GTA. It would ease the traffic burden currently held by Highway 401 and would assist in job creation and encourage private sector investment in Durham region.
The failure to extend Highway 407 in a single phase will greatly increase the amount of heavy traffic congestion on the streets of Oshawa and cause unbudgeted road infrastructure expenditures in excess of $300 million.
This is unacceptable to the city of Oshawa and I, along with the residents of Oshawa, demand that the Ontario government live up to its promise and complete this project.