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October
6, 2003
THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION AND RED HILL
The
decisive defeat of the Conservatives in the Ontario elections
generates some opportunities to re-examine the proposed
expressway in Red Hill Valley. The expressway scheme was
launched under the Tories and forced onto the Hamilton council
in the 1970s by blackmail tactics of the provincial Conservative
government. Tories have also been the most vocal supporters
of the project, restoring funding for it in 1995 with the
election of Mike Harris. His government also exempted the
expressway from a provincial environmental assessment and
joined in the city’s court case that stopped a federal
environmental assessment of the road. As a result of Conservative
decisions, the province is currently committed to providing
$122 million for the project.
During
the recent election, local Tories made a big show of supporting
the expressway, New Democrats strongly opposed it, and the
Liberals generally said little. It is notable that the Tory
vote plummetted in Hamilton, while the NDP vote went up
substantially, especially in Hamilton East and Hamilton
Mountain ridings.
The
McGuinty government has a number of opportunities to apply
their anti-sprawl, pro-greenspace, pro-transit policies
to the Red Hill situation.
One
of the first tasks of the new Minister of the Environment
will be a decision on a request made by Mark Mattson, the
Lake Ontario Keeper, to reconsider the expressway approvals
granted in 1985. The Tories gutted environmental assessment
(along with exempting Red Hill) and have ignored the massive
evidence that the expressway will cause unacceptable damage
to human health and the natural environment. Mr. Mattson
also pointed to the string of environmental offences committed
by Hamilton against Red Hill Creek, and asked if the abuser
of the creek should be left in charge of it.
The
Liberals criticized the Tories about their assessment policies,
and now have a chance to turn their words into deeds. Re-elected
Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin has already argued that the Red
Hill assessment needs to be re-done to take account of traffic
generated by a proposed mid-peninsula highway. That highway
scheme has generated huge opposition, especially in Burlington
where the City Council has taken the province to court for
trying to avoid a proper environmental assessment. The Liberals
have promised to address Burlington’s concerns; logically
they should do the same for Red Hill.
The
new Minister of Natural Resources will also have an opportunity
to correct past mistakes of the Tories. He or she oversees
the operation of the Niagara Escarpment Commission, a regulatory
body that was savaged by funding and staff cutbacks, and
burdened with the appointment of Commissioners who openly
advocated the abolition of the Commission. Not surprisingly,
the Escarpment Commission has failed to challenge Hamilton’s
plans to blast the largest road cut in history into the
face of the escarpment. The 80 metre wide cut includes blasting
a trench of similar width nearly half a kilometre back to
an area south of Mud Street. City officials are gloating
that it will provide enough aggregate for the entire 7.5
kilometre expressway.
The
Finance Minister in the McGuinty government may also have
a role in the expressway issue, especially if the rumours
of a massive budget deficit prove correct. Hamilton, and
other cities, suffered significantly under the Tory downloading
policies, and are now hoping for financial help from Queen’s
Park. But how much money can Hamilton expect in addition
to the $122 million commitment for the expressway? Liberal
MPP Dominic Agostino offered a way out of this dilemma by
offering to re-allocate this money to other city infrastructure
if requested to do so by Hamilton City Council. That hasn’t
happened yet, but given the rapid financial deterioration
at City Hall, only expressway extremists would refuse to
consider this offer.
Mr.
McGuinty and his Ministers (yet to be named) have a chance
to do the right thing. They should be encouraged to do so.
Now is an excellent time to talk to your MPP.
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