Tory says Ontario budget proves province is willing to help build SmartTrack

Toronto, Mayor John Tory is praising the recently released 2015 provincial budget and says the document proves the province is committed to helping Toronto build SmartTrack.
Speaking at city hall shortly after this year’s budget was tabled Thursday, Tory told reporters that province’s commitment to funding the electrification of the Kitchener and Stouffville rail corridors is key to his SmartTrack plan.
“The province is committing to significant investment in the shared infrastructure needed to deliver SmartTrack, which is exactly what we hoped for,” Tory said.

“Toronto needs a strong and equal partner to deliver SmartTrack and today’s budget confirms we have such a partner in Premier Wynne and the Government of Ontario.”
The mayor said he always expected that two-thirds of the funding for SmartTrack would come from both the province and the federal government.
“(The provincial government is) simply saying this is a way in which we are putting up our one-third through electrification, infrastructure upgrades and otherwise,” he said.
“We will certainly be expecting that the other two-thirds that were contemplated from the city and from the federal government will be coming as well.”
Tory did express some disappointment that funding was not set aside in the budget to help build more affordable housing in the city and to help repair aging Toronto Community Housing buildings.
“I am going to have to have to just keep working to convince both the federal and provincial governments of the need we have to have them as partners in the repair of existing Toronto Community Housing and additional supports for more affordable housing,” he said.
“I have my work to do on that.”
Ontario’s finance minister Charles Sousa told CP24 Thursday evening that the province’s investment in the regional express rail system is part of its overall strategy to improve GO Transit and transportation generally.
“Certainly John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, has advocated for certain stops to be put in place,” Sousa said.
“We recognize that we need to have an interconnection amongst the entire region of the GTHA, for that matter right across the province.”