John Graham

Heather Munroe Blum

One Queen Street East, Suite 2500

Toronto, Ontario M5C2W5

 

 

Dear Ms. Munroe Blum and Mr. Graham:

 

As a citizen very concerned with the Ministry of Transportation’s proposed Highway 413 (also known as the GTA West Corridor), I am writing to implore you to take immediate steps to initiate discussions with the Premier of Ontario. The purpose is to negotiate a mutually agreeable arrangement that provides commercial vehicles with a cost-effective toll arrangement to use Highway 407.  Diverting these vehicles from Highway 401 and other east/west regional roads will create immediate congestion relief and provide a viable alternative instead of the financially and environmentally destructive Highway 413, currently being touted by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario as a solution for traffic congestion for ‘working families.’

 

Given your leadership roles with CPP Investments, you and your corporation have an environmental and social responsibility to ensure that the under-utilized 407 toll road becomes a solution for the Province and its taxpayers to address immediate and near-term traffic demand and needs. Your website clearly states: “The climate challenge will require unprecedented collaboration and capital. We welcome dialogue and opportunities for partnership with like-minded companies, industry leaders, investors, and other interested parties as we build a dedicated investment approach to support current and future portfolio companies in their transition.” As such, we are calling on you to collaborate with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. 

 

The recent COP26 UN Climate Change Conference made it clear that corporate environmental and social responsibility is the new norm. The Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change were active participants and supporters.  Although independent of the Federal and Provincial Governments, CPP Investments is a wholly owned corporation of the Federal Government.  CPP Investments, which holds 51% ownership of Highway 407, needs to display strong corporate values, and provide the environmental and social leadership expected from a Federally owned organization.

 

Engaging with the Province in negotiations will provide an acceptable financial arrangement for commercial vehicles to use Highway 407. CPP Investments has publicly stated it would welcome and benefit from the increased usage by commercial vehicles on Highway 407 and the commuting public would benefit as vehicles move off Highway 401 and other regional roads to create immediate congestion relief.  Recent reporting has stated that the 407 is under-utilized and has capacity to absorb increased volume, should a government subsidy be adopted to attract a larger number of commercial vehicles.  This is clearly an opportunity for an organization that owes the Ontario taxpayers $1 billion in penalties for not achieving expected usage volumes.    

 

The 407 as an alternative to building additional highways is not a new idea.  It was put forward as a recommendation in an independent study commissioned by the previous provincial government, and dismissed by the current government. The expert advisory panel report recommended the cancellation of Highway 413 and outlined a number of other observations for not proceeding. The conclusion at the time was that Highway 413 would not be an effective means for moving people in the GTA West Region.

 

We must use existing roads like Highway 407 before proceeding with building the cost prohibitive and environmentally and socially invasive Highway 413. Impacts from the highway are significant and will be compounded by climate change. It will destroy environmentally sensitive Greenbelt designated lands, destroy finite endangered species habitat and accelerate biodiversity loss, compromise watershed and source water protection areas, and pave over irreplaceable prime farmland that is currently being lost at an alarming rate in Ontario (175 acres per day).

 

The world is changing and corporations are expected to govern themselves at a higher standard. We implore you to show leadership and proactively negotiate a solution with the Province that will economically satisfy the needs of commercial vehicles and eliminate the cost barriers that prevent the use of the 407 for many of them today.

 

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your response about what actions the CPP Board is taking to invite increased Highway 407 usage. It is imperative that all levels of society, government and business work together to better utilize existing infrastructure; providing transportation solutions to address congestion while protecting the health and wellbeing of Ontario citizens today and tomorrow. 

 

Sincerely,

 

On behalf of residents concerned about the proposed Highway 413

 

 

doug.fordco@pc.ola.org, david.piccini@pc.ola.org, caroline.mulroney@pc.ola.org, peter.bethlenfalvy@pc.ola.org, steve.clark@pc.ola.org, info@fao-on.org 

 

justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca, Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca, omar.alghabra@parl.gc.ca, chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca

 

Mschreiner@ola.org, horwatha-qp@ndp.on.ca, steven@ontarioliberal.ca

 

mike.crawley@cbc.ca, earth@cbc.ca, pchwebster@hotmail.com, njaved@thestar.ca, rbenzie@thestar.ca, kzarzour@yrmg.com, dibrahim@yrmg.com, jgray@globeandmail.com