Do we want that billion bucks or not?
THE SPECTATOR’S VIEW
“But to reject $1 billion? I don’t think anybody is that foolhardy.” Care to guess who said that?
Not a pro-LRT advocate or a Spectator editorial. It was in May of last year that none other than Hamilton councillor Donna Skelly said it. What a difference 12 months makes. Skelly has gone from that sensible position to the exact opposite. She and the other members of city council who are poised to vote against the LRT project are, apparently, just that foolhardy.
Even with all its warts and shortcomings, and this project has its share of them, no one should lose sight of what an LRT reversal means. At its very essence, it means Hamilton’s municipal government is rejecting $1 billion from the provincial government. Yes, it’s about elevated forms of transit. Yes, it’s about redevelopment and the resulting lift to the tax base.
Yes, it’s about more environmentally friendly public transit. It’s about LRT being a critical part of the city’s transit infrastructure, as outlined in the BLAST master plan. It’s about the impact of that billion-dollar investment — 3,500 construction jobs, being a key one. It’s about Hamilton’s reputation and relationships with senior governments. If you think we looked stupid around our handling of the stadium controversy, imagine how this will play in Queen’s Park and Ottawa. And, as Hamilton Chamber of Commerce CEO Keanin Loomis points out in his comment piece in today’s edition, it’s about up to $400 million in infrastructure upgrades local taxpayers will have to pay themselves if this goes south.
In all those things, and a host of other factors, there are complexities and shades of grey. But there is nothing complex about this very simple equation: We can say yes to a billion bucks or we can say no, and watch it toddle off into the sunset to be awarded to other transit projects in the GTHA. Notwithstanding the “alternative facts” circulating in some circles, there is no middle ground, no reallocation. Premier Kathleen Wynne’s parliamentary assistant, MPP Ted McMeekin, couldn’t have been clearer about that when he said last October, “If Hamilton in its infinite wisdom or folly decides they don’t want to do LRT, they lose a billion dollars to another community.” It will still be spent, just not here. How’s that for a city council legacy?
Hopefully, there are enough open minds at the council table to keep LRT alive through the environmental assessment vote today. If that happens, pro-LRT advocates have their assignment. It’ll be about a year before the operational agreement needs to be signed with Metrolinx. That time must be used to step up the education component of LRT. Those who oppose it are not shy about using misinformation to bolster their case. Those who know the facts need to double down and do an effective job on education. There are a billion dollars at stake. We can’t lose sight of that.