Ottawa, Queen’s Park reach deal on major environmental hurdle for Highway 413
This article was written by Robert Benzie and Kristin Rushowy, and was published in the Toronto Star on April 16, 2024.
A major roadblock has been cleared in the construction of the proposed Highway 413 from Milton to Vaughan.
Ottawa and Queen’s Park agreed Monday to a memorandum of understanding to establish “a joint working group in which provincial and federal officials will recommend appropriate measures to minimize environmental impacts in areas of federal environmental jurisdiction.”
That will complement the provincial environmental assessment process that is already underway for the 52-kilometre freeway connecting Highways 401 and 400.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, who has been critical of the project — much to the frustration of Premier Doug Ford — hailed the accord. “This agreement shows Canada and Ontario’s ability to work together while recognizing their shared jurisdiction on matters to do with the environment,” said Guilbeault. “It also ensures federal interests will be maintained on the protection of species while offering Ontario, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision, a greater level of clarity around the review process for the Highway 413 project.”
Last December, the province had pushed for a judicial review of the federal government’s plans for an environmental assessment at the site, saying it wanted to get “shovels in the ground” and avoid further delays in construction. Then, in March, the province took the win when Ottawa agreed to submit a joint consent order to the federal court, cancelling that assessment.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the “agreement provides Ontario the certainty we need to move forward with Highway 413.”
“I want to thank the federal government for meeting us at the table and collaborating on the environmental protections needed to get the project started,” he said. “In the coming months, we will move ahead with procurement to get shovels in the ground on key interchanges of the project, bringing us one step closer to getting it done. Our province is in the middle of a period of unprecedented growth, with gridlock costing our economy upwards of $11 billion every year and we need our infrastructure to keep up. It’s never been more important to build roads, bridges and highways that drivers rely on.”
Indeed, the move is a victory for Ford’s Progressive Conservatives, who made the highway the cornerstone pledge of their successful 2022 re-election campaign, and have implored Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to co-operate. The Tories won every riding along the proposed route that was then estimated to be as long as 60 kilometres.
Still, as the Star reported last week, there are other federal approvals and permits needed for the highway to move forward, including permissions under the Fisheries Act and possibly the Species at Risk and Migratory Birds Convention Acts.
In the joint statement, Queen’s Park said “it is committed to building infrastructure in a responsible way that minimizes environmental impacts.”
“Both Canada and Ontario have robust and transparent regulatory regimes to ensure the environment is protected before major projects are developed,” the statement said.
The federal government ordered an assessment three years ago following concerns raised by environmental groups, area residents and others, especially around the impact on area farmland as well as the habitats of species such as the western chorus frog and a rare dragonfly.
Ottawa Queen’s and Park reached a memorandum of understanding that clears a major roadblock in the construction of the proposed Highway 413
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