Peel mayors cry foul over Toronto streetcars
http://www.mississauganews.com/article/28659
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By: Radhika Panjwani
June 18, 2009 10:28 PM - Ottawa's expected decision to fund streetcars for Toronto under the infrastructure stimulus plan is unfair to other municipalities who were specifically told they would not qualify if they submitted similar requests, say the mayors of Mississauga and Brampton.
Mayor Hazel McCallion and Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell say Ottawa insisted all along only projects that would stimulate the local economy would be considered under a $4-billion funding plan. But the City of Toronto disregarded the rules when it applied for European-style streetcars.
Toronto's request was initially turned down by Ottawa because it did not comply with the rules for submission.
Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller are expected to announce tomorrow in Thunder Bay that Ottawa has relented, and will fund the streetcars.
The investment will result in creation of jobs in Thunder Bay and Europe, instead of Toronto, the mayors said.
"It's really unfair to every other municipality who held back projects we could have submitted as well," said Fennell. "You shouldn't be able to play euchre with the public money..."
Fennell and McCallion directed their criticism at Ottawa during today's Peel Region general committee meeting, where a staff report on the infrastructure stimulus funding was tabled for discussion.
The mayors said even though they had been informed of the amount they'd receive — $92.6 million for Mississauga, $31 million for Brampton and $149.3 million for Peel — there was uncertainty over how the money would flow.
Furthermore, Ottawa is blatantly disregarding its own conditions, McCallion said.
"(Toronto) decided they didn't have a project that met the criteria," said McCallion. "That's the decision the Toronto Council made. If they win on that, there's a contract the other municipalities would like to put in and if that happens, the stimulus program is already down the drain."
McCallion said it's also frustrating for municipalities going ahead with projects solely on faith that federal money will flow, especially since Ottawa has not yet provided written agreements or contracts.
"If they really wanted people to get back to work, that contract should have been here by now," McCallion said.
rpanjwani@mississauga.net