海角社区官网

The premier and mayor announced details of the agreement Monday at Queen鈥檚 Park, vowing it would put the cash-strapped city on the path to financial stability.

But while the pact marks a major shift in city-provincial responsibilities and will provide much-needed relief for Toronto, the $1.2 billion Ontario has pledged in operating supports over the next three years isn鈥檛 enough to fill the projected $1.5-billion spending gap the city is facing in 2024, and it falls short of the new, permanent revenue stream city officials have said the municipality needs.

The deal 鈥� reached after 10 weeks of fast-moving negotiations under a city-provincial working group 鈥� required major concessions from both leaders. Ford had previously shot down requests to take over the costly highways, while Chow vowed during her election campaign to fight the province鈥檚 plan for a private spa at Ontario Place.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 half-happy 鈥� you know you have a good deal when both sides aren鈥檛 too happy,鈥� the premier said.

鈥淎nyone thinks I want the DVP and the Gardiner, I don鈥檛,鈥� said Ford, a former city councillor who described the highways as 鈥渁n 800-pound gorilla on your back鈥� for the municipality.

The premier thanked Chow for co-operating on the deal, and added it was 鈥渁mazing to see what we can accomplish when we work together, when we put our differences aside and focus on what unites us.鈥�

Chow has spoken passionately about her desire to preserve Ontario Place, but said Monday the city does 鈥渘ot have the authority鈥� to block the province鈥檚 designs for a spa and relocated Ontario Science Centre on the site.

鈥淚t has been my position that I believe that Ontario Place should be a park, but it is called Ontario Place,鈥� said the mayor, repeating one of Ford鈥檚 lines about the land being provincially owned.

Chow said that as a result of the province鈥檚 new commitments, 鈥渢he city will be able to spend millions more on affordable housing, fixing transit and building communities,鈥� and offer hope to residents who are struggling.

鈥淭housands of affordable units can be built by redirecting funds that would otherwise be spent on repairing an aging highway,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his deal is historic. It is huge.鈥�

In addition to dropping the opposition to Ontario Place plans, as part of the agreement, the city has committed to meeting or exceeding the Ford government鈥檚 housing targets, and advancing transit construction and other provincial priorities.

Queen鈥檚 Park will provide 海角社区官网up to $7.6 billion in capital relief by uploading the expressways, providing performance-based housing funding, and committing $758 million for 55 new subway trains to replace the TTC鈥檚 Line 2 fleet. The subway money is contingent on the city and federal government matching Ontario鈥檚 contribution.

Provincial and city officials estimate the highway upload will save 海角社区官网at least $2 billion over a decade, but that could rise to $6.5 billion after further study. During the ownership transition period, Queen鈥檚 Park will give the city $7 million in operating funds and $198 million for highway capital costs.

The upload likely spells the end of Chow鈥檚 campaign promise to replace the eastern elevated portion of the Gardiner with a ground-level boulevard. Ford told reporters his government 鈥渨ill never toll these highways,鈥� and ruled out adding lanes.

On the operating side, the province鈥檚 $1.2-billion commitment includes $330 million in operating funds, starting in 2024-25, for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and the Finch West LRT.

The deal also provides $300 million for a 鈥渢ransit safety, recovery and sustainable operations鈥� fund, a one-time investment to increase TTC service, on the condition the city deploy more police or security on the system and take other safety measures.

There is also $600 million in additional operating support for 鈥渘on-refugee shelter and homelessness prevention,鈥� conditional on the federal government offering more funding for refugee and asylum claimants.

City manager Paul Johnson said the expressways are the single largest capital expense on Toronto鈥檚 books, and the upload will have a 鈥渄ramatic impact鈥� on the city budget.

鈥淭hat alone allows us to redirect those capital (expenditures) to other things that we鈥檝e been unable to fund for years,鈥� he said.

But Johnson acknowledged the province providing three years of funding for transit and shelters isn鈥檛 a fix for Toronto鈥檚 structural operating deficit. City officials have long argued the revenue tools 海角社区官网has at its disposal don鈥檛 raise enough to pay for the services required of a major metropolis, and new permanent revenue sources, like a city sales tax, are essential for its future prosperity. The working group鈥檚 terms of reference prohibited it from proposing any new taxes or service cuts.

Still, Johnson asserted that the city being able to rely on the provincial funding for the next three years will give it vital breathing room, and the two sides have committed to continuing discussions on longer-term solutions.

鈥淚s this a forever change in the operating side? No,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e can now plan multi-year budgets at the city of 海角社区官网across the next three years. That鈥檚 huge.鈥�

The city and Queen鈥檚 Park are hoping Monday鈥檚 announcement will soon be followed by commitments from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 government, which belatedly joined the working group talks last month. They issued a joint call for Ottawa to help Canada鈥檚 biggest city by providing $2.7 billion in additional support for the Line 2 subway, shelter infrastructure and other projects.

In Ottawa, an aide to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was noncommittal.

鈥淲e welcome the province of Ontario stepping up its support for the city of Toronto. Our government has and will continue to be a strong partner for the people of Toronto, on housing, public transit and much more,鈥� said Katherine Cuplinskas.

At Queen鈥檚 Park, NDP Leader Marit Stiles hailed the mayor for making a deal.

鈥淲hat Olivia Chow managed to do was, she was being robbed and she got the thief to pay up,鈥� said Stiles, applauding the deal despite the mayor鈥檚 Ontario Place concession.

鈥淭he fight to prevent this, to stop this, was always here at Queen鈥檚 Park. It鈥檚 up to us to continue that fight here and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do,鈥� she said.

Coun. Brad Bradford, a vocal critic of the mayor, called the agreement 鈥済ood news for the people of Toronto.鈥�

鈥淥ur city needs to focus on the most important problems ahead of us: building more housing, unlocking gridlock, and achieving fiscal sustainability. I am relieved that common-sense solutions prevailed.鈥�

With files from Rob Ferguson and Tonda MacCharles