Kathleen Wynne vows to push Scarborough subway extension despite TTC concerns

Premier Kathleen Wynne says the Liberal government will railroad through its controversial plan to extend the Bloor-Danforth subway line into Scarborough, despite TTC concerns about the scheme.

“We will keep our commitment to the people of Scarborough to build the subway in Scarborough . . . and that $1.4 billion will go into building that line on the alignment that has been the alignment all along in the plan,” Wynne told the legislature Thursday.

In her first public comments since meeting with TTC chair Karen Stintz on Wednesday afternoon, the premier reiterated that the province is footing the tab, so city hall can’t call the shots.

“That’s the conversation that I had with Councillor Stintz yesterday,” she said. “We will continue to make that investment, and I hope we’ll be able to work with the city council in order to do that, because the people of Scarborough need that transit.

“One of the issues that I talked about with Councillor Stintz . . . was that the federal government has not come forward to put money into an expanded version of the line that the city council would like to see.”

Under the province’s shortened subway extension unveiled last week, the line would follow the existing Scarborough rapid transit line to the Scarborough Town Centre, with just two stations.

But cash-strapped city council wants the subway extended from Kennedy station all the way north to Sheppard Ave., which would be far more expensive.

After her meeting with Wynne, Stintz castigated the Liberals for pushing a subway that “can be built without city council.”

She also criticized the plan being pushed by Transportation Minister Glen Murray as being full of “financial holes.”

Murray shrugged off Stintz’s concerns, saying “she couldn’t take yes for an answer” when he came up with a subway solution for Scarborough.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak boasted that while in government his party “built” 64 subway stations dating back to 1954.

“The Liberals may talk a good game. They may talk about subway stops, they announce subway stops. After 10 years of Liberal government, additional Liberal subway stops: zero,” said Hudak, who did not mention that the Tories scrapped the already under-construction Eglinton subway in the 1990s and filled in the tunnel.

“Why don’t you actually stick to the plan, the city plan, the original plan, build it from Kennedy, Scarborough Town Centre to Sheppard? It’s the right thing to do,” he implored Wynne in the legislature.

New Democrat MPP Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina) blamed the Liberals for further complicating an already convoluted plan to boost transit in Scarborough.

“Last week, the minister blindsided everyone and announced an uncosted and technically challenged subway proposal,” said Marchese.

“By acting unilaterally . . . (they) have created unprecedented division and chaos in Scarborough transit planning. This action is setting back new transit . . . which is already a decade behind schedule.”