Lack of transit link between Toronto airport, downtown embarrassing: Cannon

Michael Oliveira, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - It's an embarrassment that Canada's busiest airport still isn't linked to Toronto's downtown core by public transit and getting it done should be a priority, federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday.

In a speech to the Toronto Board of Trade, Cannon called it unbelievable that a world-class city like Toronto doesn't have the transit infrastructure that's so common in big cities around the world.

"It's an embarrassment, I do believe that, and I hope the government of Ontario will see fit to change their mind on that," Cannon later said in an interview.

The provincial government has allowed an environmental assessment to get bogged down for two years now and has dragged its heels on a project that could reduce gridlock, he said.

He said the province should do whatever it takes to get the important project launched, and could pursue a public-private partnership like the $2-billion Canada Line rail-based rapid transit service linking downtown Vancouver to its airport and beyond to Richmond, B.C.

Cannon's Ontario counterpart, Jim Bradley, said he wants to build the rail link, but it hasn't been the province's highest priority. He questioned whether Cannon should be telling the province what it should build, and when.

"I try not to suggest what the federal government's No. 1 priority should be and I think provinces are best able to determine what their priorities are," Bradley said.

"It's always nice that when a federal minister comes to town to make those kinds of pronouncements that he comes with a cheque as well."

Metrolinx, an organization that was tasked by the Ontario government to help map the province's transit future, is recommending that the airport project be launched.

Chairman Rob MacIsaac said the project is outside the scope of Metrolinx's mandate, since there's already been a lot of discussions and planning, but he hopes it will go ahead as soon as possible.

"Metrolinx does recognize that having a rail-link in the region is an important link for this city region going forward . . . in our view, this is an important project and that it ought to proceed expeditiously."

Even though the project has been talked about for years, it's not overly surprising that it still hasn't been built, MacIsaac said.

"City building is never tidy. There's always lots of different viewpoints and concerns that have to be taken into account, so it's not something you can build always exactly according to the schedule you might like to."

© The Canadian Press, 2007