New government, new approach for ongoing Peterborough issues

Immediately after Thursday’s provincial election, local focus jumped to the effect a Doug Ford-led Progressive Conservative government would have on Peterborough’s ongoing Parkway dilemma.

A Liberal government edict requiring a new environmental assessment for the entire Parkway route just led city council to shelve construction plans, which have been on the books, in one for or another, for 70 years. Given that long history and controversy, the new Ford government’s role in a potential Parkway rebirth was bound to draw attention.

However, any change in government at Queen’s Park has the potential to change the course of most big issues that affect municipal governments across the province, Peterborough included.

Shifting from Kathleen Wynne and a Liberal regime heavy on social engineering to Ford’s smallgovernment, business-first approach could produce upheaval on the level of Mike Harris and his Common Sense Revolution replacing the NDP and Bob Rae back in the mid-90s.

Is this the end of the Places to Grow blueprint that outlines how every Ontario community will, or won’t, grow over the next 20 years? Will gas taxes be reduced, and if so where will money for local transit subsidies come from? Will sex education in elementary schools revert to the 1960s? Is this the end of toll highways?

In Peterborough, two pressing local issues in addition to the Parkway are in play: the future of harness horse racing at Kawartha Downs; and a land swap between the city and Cavan-Monaghan Township. Newly elected Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith will be watched to see how he influences those outcomes, or if he can.

The Parkway question is fairly cut-and-dried. The Liberal environment minister of the day ordered a new environmental assessment. The Conservatives could overturn that order. More maneuvering by the large and well-organized anti-Parkway faction would result but the project would be back on track.

Kawartha Downs is equally straightforward, at least in political terms. Horse owners back the track manager, who is holding out for many more racing dates and better terms than the multi-million dollar annual subsidies offered by former MPP Jeff Leal and the outgoing Liberal government.

Smith and the Conservatives have supported Kawartha Downs. Will they now deliver an even richer sweetheart deal? An agreement that almost saw Peterborough pay Cavan-Monaghan $62.5 million and provide other services in return for more than 4,000 acres of land is more complex.

After extended talks that included a provincial facilitator, city council turned down the final negotiated agreement. A majority of council wanted payments spread over a longer period. The township refused to go along.

Last fall, then-Premier Kathleen Wynne became somewhat directly involved. She brought the facilitator back in to resume talks but said the province would not order annexation.

Annexation is contentious but possible. The last time it happened the Liberals listened to a cabinet minister from Barrie and awarded that city 5,600 acres from Innisfil Township under Barrie’s terms.

PC MPP Laurie Scott represents Cavan-Monaghan. She is a force in the provincial Tory party and a prospective cabinet minister.

Scott could push the new government to order the land deal on Cavan-Monaghan’s terms. Smith would be expected to fight for Peterborough, and be judged by his failure or success. All three issues will play out over the next 12 months. Peterborough’s rookie MPP will have to learn the ropes quickly.