Statement by Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager, Environmental Defence
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – The City of Toronto’s updated Long Term Financial Plan and an accompanying staff report released today indicate that the city faces an unprecedented financial crisis. Toronto’s Executive Council will meet on August 24th to consider informing the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario that they plan to pause negotiations on Provincial Priority Transit Projects and future provincial transit expansion projects, unless there is funding from both the federal and provincial governments to support the operating costs of the country’s largest public transit system.
Environmental Defence supports the call from the City of Toronto for all levels of government to increase funding support for the TTC through new revenue tools and fiscal transfers. It is crucial for the federal and provincial governments to strike a ‘new deal’ and contribute towards funding the operating costs of Canada’s largest public transit system, which carries one out of every four transit riders in Canada. Preventing drastic TTC service cuts is crucial to stopping a downward spiral and meeting Canada’s climate goals. Reliable public transit is also needed to increase the supply of housing in cities rather than furthering sprawl. We call on all levels of government to work together to continue expanding public transit to fight climate change.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
– 30 –
For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
The post Statement on the City of Toronto’s Call for a New Fiscal Framework appeared first on Environmental Defence.
This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.
