At an announcement in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford promised that if his party was re-elected the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (LRT) system would become a part of the province’s portfolio.
This would be a huge step for the city, Mayor Mark Sutcliff said in a post on X in response to the news. Council has been very vocal about how “unfair” the province treats Ottawa compared to other cities in regards to its transit. The municipality’s geography does not pay any favours to the struggling system.
“Uploading Ottawa’s LRT to the province is the latest step we’re taking to save taxpayers money and improve local services as we treat Ottawa fairly,” Ford said at the announcement.
This would place the LRT under Metrolinx, the transportation arm of the Ontario government. If this were to happen it would bring Ottawa in line with cities like Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton and Brampton.
“This will align Ottawa with other Ontario cities and have an enormous impact on our city’s financial position while allowing OC Transpo to focus on improving our bus and rail service for residents,” Sutcliffe said. “This will be a big win for Ottawa!”
The conservatives say that today’s announcement would be on top of the province’s recent investments into the city under the New Deal, which includes money dedicated to upgraded OC Transpo fleet, the LRT and bringing a transitway to a west-end community.
NDP talks schools
NDP Leader Marit Stiles is in Ottawa today and is promising to spend more money on the education system, hiring more staff, supporting students with disabilities, adding $830 million per year for school repairs, and creating a universal school food program.
She says Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is trying to “con” voters into thinking the snap election is all about tariffs, but it should be about Ford’s record since he was first elected in 2018.
With files from The Canadian Press.