Ontario Proposes Made-in-Ontario Plan for Growth, Renewal and Economic Recovery
July 6, 2020Cornwall Ontario – The Government of Ontario has developed a made-in-Ontario plan for growth, renewal and economic recovery. This plan includes measures that would make it easier and faster to build provincial highways, major transit infrastructure projects and quality, affordable housing, while ensuring there are meaningful opportunities for community consultation and input.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant hardship for individuals, families, and businesses throughout the province. We’re going to need everyone’s help to rebuild the province and get people back to work,” said Premier Ford. “Through these proposed initiatives, we will start Ontario down the road to recovery by getting critical infrastructure projects built faster, creating jobs in communities across the province.”
As part of the government’s plan, the province is proposing to accelerate key provincial highway construction and priority transit projects by establishing an exemption from the Hearing of Necessity process. Provincial Hearings of Necessity occur approximately 5-10 times per year on average for provincial highway projects. Each hearing adds months of red tape and construction delays for critical provincial infrastructure, costing up to five months for transit projects and up to 12 months for provincial highway projects.
“Communities need reliable transit, transportation and housing as a strong foundation for future economic growth,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “These initiatives would create tens of thousands of new well-paying jobs, make our roads safer, reduce gridlock, and put home ownership within reach of many people across the province.”
As part of this plan, the government would also enter into new commercial agreements with partners to build transit-oriented communities. This would allow for the development of more housing around transit in an integrated manner and put more job opportunities within the reach of more people. The measures would also save taxpayers money by having the development industry make direct, significant contributions to the cost of building transit for the benefit of communities, all transit riders, and Ontario taxpayers.
Quick Facts
- The province is investing $2.6 billion to expand and repair Ontario’s highways and bridges.
Business Reopening Toolkit
Cornwall Economic Development has put together a toolkit to help businesses reopen. The toolkit includes guidelines and a maximum occupancy calculator along with signs and posters that can be downloaded and printed – including mask related posters and images:
Additional Resources
- Visit the Eastern Ontario Health Unit website for more local news and safety bulletins
- Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
We summarize the latest news about the impacts of COVID-19 on Cornwall businesses on a daily basis. Click on the following link to view: