Conservation authority rejects Brampton’s LRT parkland proposal
At a meeting of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority May 27, members voted unanimously against driving a light rail transit line through a Brampton park
Brampton Guardian
By
Peter Criscione
A proposal to drive light rail transit through Brampton’s Meadowland Park got two thumbs down from local conservation officials Friday (May 27).
“Sound planning, based on evidence and facts prevailed today,” said Andrew deGroot, co-founder of local transit advocacy group OneBrampton.
At a meeting of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) board of directors, members voted unanimously against one of three routes being proposed as alternatives to the controversial Main Street line, north of Steeles Avenue, that Brampton council voted down last October.
The plan rejected by board members calls for rail line through Meadowland Park, north of Nanwood Drive, which is a route option previously rejected by planners because of the potential negative impact on lands deemed environmentally sensitive.
Brampton staff, in addition to the ‘creek’ route, is currently studying the viability of running light rail transit on McLaughlin and Kennedy roads to the downtown GO Train station. The province has not committed any funds to an alternate to the Main Street route rejected last year.
A cohort of neighbours turned up at TRCA offices in Vaughan Friday to speak out against the creek route proposal.
“One Brampton welcomes the TRCA board's decision today to unanimously reject the proposed LRT route through the Etobicoke Creek Valley, whether a surface route, elevated route or tunnel,” deGroot said.
The LRT debate has been a highly divisive issue in Brampton.
More than 100 people packed a May 16 planning committee meeting to rail against the creek route option, which includes an elevated rail through Meadowland parks, up to the Peel Memorial health campus and over to the downtown GO.
Residents in that neighbourhood complained about the loss of the parkland and trails as well as diminished property values and lack of privacy in the event the route option prevails.
In 2015, Ontario committed $1.6 billion to fund a Hurontario-Main LRT that would connect Mississauga’s lakeshore to the downtown Brampton GO station.
After months of intense debate, and a failed facilitation process, Brampton council voted to reject the proposed route along Main Street north of Steeles Ave.
Since then, council has been pushing staff to find alternatives, but not a single proposal put forth so far has managed to win council’s collective support.
At a March planning meeting, councillors debated the pros and cons of the creek route.
Regional Coun. John Sprovieri, who sits on the TRCA board, argued at that meeting that although the conservation authority does not endorse the parkland option (it sits on a flood plain) board members could make a political decision in favour of that option.
On Friday, Sprovieri was part of the unanimous vote that did not endorse the parkland plan.
Brampton councillors will debate alternate route options again on June 20.