An area politician says the next time he’s in Queen’s Park, he will have a few questions for a fellow MPP.
MPP Michael Gravelle (Lib., Thunder Bay – Superior North) said that’s because MPP David Caplan (Lib., Don Valley East) has some plans in the works to see Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s controversial plan to scrap streetcars for subways become a reality.
Caplan, a former infrastructure renewal minister in Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet, is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying subways are the way to go for Toronto and there are billions of dollars in private sector funding available to start digging.
MPP Michael Gravelle (Lib., Thunder Bay – Superior North) said that’s because MPP David Caplan (Lib., Don Valley East) has some plans in the works to see Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s controversial plan to scrap streetcars for subways become a reality.
Caplan, a former infrastructure renewal minister in Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet, is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying subways are the way to go for Toronto and there are billions of dollars in private sector funding available to start digging.
Gravelle said while Caplan has every right to speak with mayors across the province on any issue he wishes, he’s optimistic that Toronto city council will stick with its original Transit City light rail vision, which includes $1.3 billion in contracts with Bombardier’s Thunder Bay plant.
"It’s his opinion and he can have those discussions," Gravelle said. "I still support the original and the long discussed and many times voted on Transit City vision."
Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs said he’s trying to schedule a meeting with Ford sometime in January, although so far discussions have been limited to his executive assistant.
"It’s his opinion and he can have those discussions," Gravelle said. "I still support the original and the long discussed and many times voted on Transit City vision."
Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs said he’s trying to schedule a meeting with Ford sometime in January, although so far discussions have been limited to his executive assistant.
"We’re hoping that we can change his mind," Hobbs said.
Hobbs said Toronto jumping the track to subways from streetcars would be bad news for the whole province, and not just Thunder Bay workers.
"A lot of it is going to be on the economics of this," Hobbs said. "This doesn’t’ just impact Thunder Bay it impacts all areas of Ontario and Quebec there are contracts in both provinces."
