Plans for a high-speed rail system stretching from Toronto to Windsor could be quashed if the Liberals lose the June election, Ontario's premier warned Friday.
Premier Kathleen Wynne made the comment during a campaign-style stop at Info-Tech Research Group on Queens Ave. in London.
She stated high-speed rail "very much would be at risk" under a non-Liberal government.
"All we are hearing from the Conservatives is that they are going to cut across government, so it is pretty hard to invest $11-billion and cut at the same time," said Wynne. "You would have to ask them what their commitment is but I haven't seen any commitment to date."
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has not said whether or not he would scrap or cut the high-speed rail project.
The Liberal government dedicated more than $11-billion in funding toward the first phase of the rail system in the recent 2018 provincial budget. It was the largest new investment announced in the budget and would see travel times between London and Toronto cut down to 73 minutes.
The electric-powered trains will travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h on a combination of new and existing tracks, with stops in Phase One at London, Kitchener, Guelph and Toronto Union Station. There would also be a connection to Pearson International Airport.
The second phase of the project would extend the rail from London to Windsor, with a stop in Chatham.
The Toronto to London corridor is expected to be running by 2025, while the second phase from London to Windsor will be ready by 2031.
The first stage of an environmental assessment (EA) for high-speed rail is underway and will likely take 18 to 24 months to complete. The assessment will include consultations with Indigenous groups and rural communities, some of which have voiced concerns about a rail line cutting through their backyards.
"Obviously there will be challenges but countries like France, a big agricultural country, have built many high-speed lines and have done it in collaboration with farmers and other landowners," said David Collenette, chair of the high-speed rail planning advisory board. "That is what the EA process is all about. It is to find the best routing and what kind of issues have to be dealt with. I encourage people to pay attention to the environmental assessment process and make their views known."
Wynne echoed Collenette's comments noting that the EA is not a narrow focus but a "broad consultation with people along the whole corridor."
