Promise History
2.04.021 - “[A] re-elected PC government will build Highway 413 to reduce traffic and gridlock in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)”
09-Dec-2024
The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act was introduced in November 2024, which included clauses to expedite the building of Highway 413 through exempting highway building from the Environmental Assessment Act, and more broadly, accelerating environmental assessments. However, at the end of the Ford government’s second term no construction had begun, so this promise is broken.
“On November 25, 2024, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act received Royal Assent, allowing the province to accelerate construction of Highway 413, Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway Bridge Twinning project, as well as create an accelerated process for the assessment of environmental impacts on Highway 413.”
Highway 413 Preliminary Design 90 Per Cent Complete
30-Apr-2024
Highway 413, initially known as the GTA West Corridor, was a promise made during the Ford government’s 2018 election campaign (see more here). In May 2021, the project was designated under the federal impact assessment process, meaning that the federal government took over the environmental assessment. In October 2023, Ontario announced that it was applying for judicial review of the federal government’s involvement in Highway 413, and in April 2024, the government anounced that they had reached an agreement with the federal government, and construction would begin in 2025. This promise is in progress.
“The Ontario government is moving ahead to get shovels in the ground on Highway 413 after having reached an agreement with the federal government for the project to proceed with strong environmental protections in place.”
Ontario Building Highway 413
24-Oct-2023
“Ontario is applying for judicial review of the federal government’s involvement in controversial projects like Highway 413 and Ontario Place to “ensure that federal decision makers can no longer impede desperately needed infrastructure projects,” the province says. […] The federal government says it hasn’t received the province’s initial project description so it can start the impact assessment process.”
Ontario asks court to prevent feds from 'holding up' Highway 413, Ontario Place
25-Jun-2022
“On May 3, 2021, the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change designated the Highway 413 Project under the Federal Impact Assessment Act. […] Ontario has started to develop materials required for the planning phase of the Federal Impact Assessment process, including the preparation of an Initial Project Description (IPD). “
Process and Timeline
Only Doug Ford and the Ontario PCs will Build Highway 413
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