OTTAWA DEAL FALLS SHORT; OTTAWA STILL WANTS IN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
​March 28, 2024

OTTAWA, ON — Today’s so-called “new deal” for the City of Ottawa falls short of the recent deal with the City of Toronto and once again shows the Ford government’s lack of care and attention for the nation’s capital, Ontario Liberal MPP and Critic for Municipal Affairs, Stephen Blais (Orléans), charged. 

“Now that the Premier has finally bothered to show up in Ottawa, I am glad he is following our lead to upload Highway 174, but the rest of this deal falls well short of the deal recently secured by the City of Toronto. As is always the case, Doug Ford is coming a day late and a dollar short. This ‘deal’ is long on spin and short on cash,” said Blais. 

"With over a million residents, and as Ottawa continues to grow — as the surrounding communities of Rockland, Kemptville, Arnprior and Carleton Place continue to grow — now more than ever we need the province to lead the way in creating a provincially funded regional transit agency." 

"Taxpayers in Ottawa and the National Capital Region have been subsidizing GO transit in the GTA for decades. As the population of the metro Ottawa area approaches 1.5 million people, it is time for the province to take greater responsibility for ensuring smooth transit service for the National Capital Region. Instead, Ottawa transit riders did not get the same fare cut offered to GTA riders, and no relief for the stressed OC Transpo operating budgets." 

"Once again, Ottawa is being treated like the poor cousin of Toronto by this government,” Blais added. "We’re the second largest city in the province. We have the largest technology park in Canada. It’s about time Doug Ford stopped ignoring our city. Today’s announcement falls well short of what Ottawa needed."

Following an unambitious do-nothing budget, Ontario’s Liberals are holding Doug Ford accountable for spending all his time, energy and taxpayer money to help his wealthy friends — instead of helping Ontario families.