I want to thank the member for emphasizing the real importance of getting Highway 413 built and what it means for local communities, but really for all of Ontario. Our government is critically aware of the importance of Highway 413, because we know it will grow our economy and it will support a growing Brampton and a growing Peel region.

Our roads and our highways are critical for keeping goods flowing across the province. An efficient transportation network is key to supporting our economic growth and also to unlocking our economic potential.

Mr. Speaker, we know the consequences of not building Highway 413, and we are determined to make sure that we reverse course on this. We are going to move forward to address congestion, to ensure the efficient transportation and movement of goods. Our government is committed to building critical infrastructure, because it is a solution to accelerate Ontario’s economic growth and our prosperity. Highway 413 is not only a fundamental piece of infrastructure; it is a key part of Ontario’s success and our future.

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. We have been very clear, Mr. Speaker. Our government is focused on building out the most efficient and effective transportation network that Ontarians need and deserve. We’ve focused on building highways and roads and bridges and public transit to address the infrastructure deficit that was left behind by the previous Liberal government. We inherited a contract from the previous Liberal government that was signed back in 2011, and we are working within the confines of that contract to deliver on the Eglinton Crosstown.

The line is 98% complete. Testing is ongoing and the Crosslinx consortium is now completing all remaining work. This includes addressing all and any rectifications that are needed so that the line is reliable and safe for transit riders and transit operators to use when it opens for service.

Our government has been clear from the beginning. We want to make sure that the line is safe for all. We will not rush it. We will not interfere. When politicians interfere with transit projects, then the problems of the Ottawa LRT ensue. We have been very clear; we will get this done. We take responsibility—

GO rail expansion is a key priority for our government and we are committed to delivering on it. GO rail expansion, GO bus service, all of our GO Transit services are a core element of our transportation network. But when we put forward plans to provide these critical, essential services for Ontarians, the Leader of the Opposition votes against it.

Metrolinx is working closely with mayors of municipalities, with stakeholders, to understand what their needs are. We provide service updates on a regular basis to make sure that we can meet transit riders where their needs are. We will continue to listen to municipalities and to local transportation stakeholders, so that we can continue to deliver the service that they need.

Interjections.

Thank you to the member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan for his great question, and also for introducing his motion, which reminds us that there’s always more we can do to make our roads in the north safer.

It’s no secret that the winter months can be challenging for drivers, especially those in northern Ontario. We heard loud and clear from northern Ontarians and members on both sides of this House about the need to improve northern road safety, and we acted.

Our government is the first to create a new level of service that requires Highways 11 and 17 in the north to be cleared within 12 hours after a winter storm. That is four hours faster than the previous standard. Ontario has a nation-leading standard in place when it comes to winter maintenance and we are ensuring that it stays that way.

In northern Ontario specifically, our government is installing an additional 14 road weather information stations, including eight along Highways 11 and 17, to help our contractors prepare and respond faster to winter weather events.

As part of our five-year plan to improve the rest area network, we have also completed six major rehabilitations of rest stops across the north, including at the Manitoba border. There will always be exceptional circumstances following a winter storm, but our government is taking action to ensure that our northern highways remain open and safe following every winter weather event.

Well, the Ministry of Transportation was very clear that the projects that were identified in the Auditor General’s report as deferred have actually all moved forward, either in the planning stages or due diligence stages or the construction stages. The member opposite knows very well that our government has been committed to road safety and construction in northern Ontario.

We’re moving forward the twinning of Highway 17 between the Manitoba border and Kenora. We’ve been working on building 14 new rest stops and rehabilitating 10 rest stops to make sure that we can provide safety for our drivers as they’re going along our northern roads. And we’re moving forward with an innovative new highway pilot called the “2+1” project—a project that came from the Northern Transportation Task Force and was recommended by people who live and drive in the north and who take road safety there so seriously.

We are very proud of the record that we have on keeping our northern roads safe and on rehabilitating and building our highways there, and we’re going to continue to do that.

Our government is committed to building in the north, and we’re committed to road safety in the north. That’s why we brought forward a completely new standard for highway and winter maintenance, a 12-hours-to-bare-pavement standard, the best and highest standard anywhere in Canada. We have made significant investments in equipment, we’re bringing innovative, new solutions to keeping our roads safe, and we’re going to continue to work to find the best standards and to do the best we can by the people in the north.

Thank you to the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for the great question.

Under Premier Ford’s leadership, our government is taking concrete steps to make roads in northern Ontario safer.

Just a few weeks ago, I was pleased to announce that our government took another step forward to deliver the first ever “2+1” highway pilot in North America. This model is used in jurisdictions around the world, and it has been shown to improve road safety and enhance traffic flow. By issuing the request for proposals for the new pilot on Highway 11 north of North Bay, our government is demonstrating real progress to get shovels in the ground on this critical project making roads in the north that much safer.

A “2+1” highway pilot is part of our government’s plan to build Ontario, and we’re getting it done.

Speaker, we have received resounding support on the “2+1” highway from local stakeholders, including Mark Wilson from Going the Extra Mile for Safety, as well as members of our government’s Northern Transportation Task Force. The “2+1” highway pilot will support northern development and boost economic growth in the region, after decades of neglect by the previous Liberal governments. And this builds on other initiatives championed by our government to support and grow the north.

Just recently, we created a new highway level of service that requires Highways 11 and 17 in northern Ontario to be cleared within 12 hours after a winter storm, four hours faster than the previous standard.

Speaker, this is not a one-and-done deal for northern drivers. We will continue to look for even more ways to support safer and more prosperous communities in the north.

I want to thank the member from Brampton West for his question and for his tireless advocacy to improve transportation options for the residents of his riding.

Highway 413 is a key pillar of our government’s plan to build Ontario. As part of that plan, we are fighting gridlock and we’re supporting jobs. Highway 401 is already the most congested corridor in North America, and when you factor in the fact that 200,000 people will be coming to Ontario each year, the need for Highway 413 is even more clear. It will save drivers up to 30 minutes per trip, leaving drivers with five hours back in their week for the things that matter most. Highway 413 will also keep our supply chains strong and help get goods to market faster.

Speaker, our government is filling the infrastructure deficit that we inherited from the previous Liberal government. For 15 years, the Liberals said no to fighting gridlock and to addressing growth; our government is saying yes, and we are going to build Highway 413.

Too many governments have been short-sighted when it comes to transportation planning. We are the only government with a balanced transportation plan that is both practical and reasonable. Our plan includes building roads and highways, but also public transit, because there is not one main solution to addressing gridlock.

Speaker, in the greater Golden Horseshoe alone, we are building towards two-way, all-day GO service, we are building subways, and we are moving full steam ahead on the Bradford Bypass and on Highway 413.

For every dollar our government spends on building highways, we are spending three more to build transit.

Expanding our highway and transit networks in parallel will create the integrated transportation network that Ontario needs.

There is no way out of gridlock without building Highway 413. And we won’t apologize for being the only government to get it done for Ontarians.

Speaker, our major highways are filling up more and more each day, but this is not a new problem. The Liberals could have addressed gridlock by building the Bradford Bypass, but instead they quietly shelved it. Our government is taking a different approach. In the greater Golden Horseshoe alone, we are addressing gridlock head-on by making historic investments and getting shovels in the ground on highways, roads, subways and GO expansion.

Building capacity in Simcoe county and in York region starts with getting the Bradford Bypass done. Earlier this year, I was proud to announce the early works contract to construct a bridge crossing which will pave the way for shovels in the ground later this year.

Speaker, it is our PC government, led by this Premier, that is stepping up to the plate and delivering for Ontarians.