ttc upload ontario

Ontario government announces plans to take over the TTC

If you've got beef with Toronto's public transit system now, just wait until it falls into the hands of Doug Ford's provincial government.

You know, the same government that recently rolled sex-ed back by 20 years, slashed Toronto City Council in half, scrapped major environmental protections, froze minimum wage, launched its own propaganda network and lost a $125,000 lawsuit to Tesla? Among other things? That one.

Ontario transportation minister Jeff Yurek announced while doing the morning show circuit on Thursday that the Progressive Conservatives are officially moving forward in their quest to take over TTC subways.

New legislation will be introduced this spring to "upload" Toronto's subway system to the province, according to Yurek, and while he doesn't have a timeline for how long the transfer of power will take, he says that negotiations with the city are well underway.

Hundreds of advocates, academics, politicians and concerned citizens have spoken out against the proposed takeover since Ford was elected in June, warning that such a move could prove disastrous

I mean, the guy seriously wants to expand Toronto's already resource-starved subway system out into the suburbs despite already dangerous levels of overcrowding.

Supporters of the plan, like Yurek, say the province will do a better job than the city and that uploading the TTC would benefit the entire province.

To be clear, Ontario only wants to take over planning, building and maintenance of the subway system. The TTC itself would continue to manage day-to-day operations and collect revenue from fares.

Regardless of what happens, it looks like citizens will be kept in the dark until a decision is made.

Not that it matters.

A confidential report obtained by The Star last month revealed that Ontario has "the legal authority to unilaterally take over the TTC subway system without offering the city as much as a cent in compensation."

In other words, Toronto is powerless against the provincial government—even when it comes to matters that impact the city exclusively, directly, and for long after Ford's tenure as Premier.

Lead photo by

Clement Lo


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