highway

Wednesday February 1, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 1, 2017

John Tory ‘encouraged’ by Kathleen Wynne’s words on housing

Toronto Mayor John Tory was sounding somewhat mollified on Monday after meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne, just days after announcing she’s rejecting the city’s request to put tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway.

Speaking to reporters after the hour-long meeting at Queen’s Park, Wynne hinted at a willingness to boost provincial funding for Toronto’s affordable housing needs.

2007

Tory said he’d pressed the housing issue during the meeting.

“I stressed again, now more than ever, that the province must immediately come to the table to address our city’s social housing crisis,” Tory told a news conference at City Hall on Monday. “I was certainly very firm, again, that we need that help, that some of the most vulnerable people in our city need that help.”

Based on discussions in Ottawa last week, Tory said he is confident the federal government will put “substantial funding” for housing in its upcoming budget. He wants the province to match that money.

In a separate news conference at Queen’s Park, Wynne referred to her “recognition for the need for increased housing support,” but stopped short of promising money.

“We need a three-way partnership on affordable housing — the municipality, the province and the federal government working together as we move into this budget cycle,” she said.

Tory said he was encouraged by Wynne’s message.

“I found that a significant step forward because I’m not sure that I’ve heard those words said before,” Tory said.

Wynne meets Tory on an almost-monthly basis. Monday’s meeting had been scheduled well in advance of last week’s announcement about tolls.

The pair usually hold a photo opportunity inside Wynne’s office as their meeting wraps up, then a joint news conference. This time, the cameras were not allowed inside, the pair shook hands quickly outside Wynne’s door, then Tory departed for City Hall. It created the appearance of a less-chummy-than-normal get-together. (Source: CBC) 

 

Saturday November 21, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday November 21, 2015 Confusion surrounds push to preserve Desjardins Canal bridge The fate of one of the city's busiest old bridges is up in the air. And it's entirely possible that not one of the 5,180 drivers-per-hour who use it at peak times could name or even locate the bridge on a map. Don't feel bad Ñ neither could Hamilton councillors Wednesday, despite their decision to talk to the province about preserving parts of the 84-year-old span. The Ministry of Transportation calls the structure one-half of the Desjardins Canal bridges Ñ basically, the east and west traffic lanes of Highway 403 that cross the old watercourse connecting the harbour to Cootes Paradise. But in a previous life, the eastbound span was called the Longwood low-level bridge, carrying that road across the canal from 1931 until the 1960s, when it was incorporated into the highway. (The westbound span was built in the '60s.) The city has to act fast if it wants to influence a looming provincial plan to replace the historical bridge, said Coun. Aidan Johnson, who moved a motion Wednesday directing staff to talk to the province. "All heritage architecture and infrastructure in the city should be protected to the best of our ability precisely because it is our heritage," he said. "Especially if the province is going to pay for it." Johnson said city cultural staff alerted him to the impending bridge replacement Ñ and an opportunity, through the environmental assessment, to lobby to retain "heritage aspects" of the concrete bridge, such as distinctive abutments. The bridge doesn't meet the criteria to be a provincial heritage bridge, according to the project website. But MTO spokesperson Astrid Poei said via email it's possible the existing bridge piers could be "cut off" and preserved to "reflect the width and materials of the old bridge" with the cost of the work covered by the province. A replacement bridge would

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 21, 2015

Confusion surrounds push to preserve Desjardins Canal bridge

The fate of one of the city’s busiest old bridges is up in the air.

And it’s entirely possible that not one of the 5,180 drivers-per-hour who use it at peak times could name or even locate the bridge on a map.

Beaten to death by the stadium

Don’t feel bad — neither could Hamilton councillors Wednesday, despite their decision to talk to the province about preserving parts of the 84-year-old span.

The Ministry of Transportation calls the structure one-half of the Desjardins Canal bridges — basically, the east and west traffic lanes of Highway 403 that cross the old watercourse connecting the harbour to Cootes Paradise.

But in a previous life, the eastbound span was called the Longwood low-level bridge, carrying that road across the canal from 1931 until the 1960s, when it was incorporated into the highway. (The westbound span was built in the ’60s.)

The dreams which never die

The city has to act fast if it wants to influence a looming provincial plan to replace the historical bridge, said Coun. Aidan Johnson, who moved a motion Wednesday directing staff to talk to the province.

“All heritage architecture and infrastructure in the city should be protected to the best of our ability precisely because it is our heritage,” he said. “Especially if the province is going to pay for it.”

Johnson said city cultural staff alerted him to the impending bridge replacement — and an opportunity, through the environmental assessment, to lobby to retain “heritage aspects” of the concrete bridge, such as distinctive abutments.

The bridge doesn’t meet the criteria to be a provincial heritage bridge, according to the project website. But MTO spokesperson Astrid Poei said via email it’s possible the existing bridge piers could be “cut off” and preserved to “reflect the width and materials of the old bridge” with the cost of the work covered by the province.

A replacement bridge would still be built, she noted, but the remnant piers would remain as city property. Construction is slated to start next year and won’t finish until 2018.

Neverending Lister

The project website says the preferred fix for the aging canal span is to completely replace and widen the old Longwood bridge while rehabilitating the younger westbound highway structure.

Johnson argued the city has nothing to lose for arguing to preserve part of the “beautiful” bridge — even as he acknowledged being initially confused about exactly what bridge is under threat.

Councillors bemusedly searched the Internet and unsuccessfully tossed out guesses about exactly which bridge was under discussion during the meeting.

The confusion was understandable — the canal is criss-crossed by several historic spans, including the McQuesten high-level bridge and rail bridges used by CP and CN.

But unless you paddle the canal or walk the adjacent trail, you’d never realize the stretch of Highway 403 is a bridge at all.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, a former construction industry boss, expressed doubt about the idea of a partial preservation.

“In my experience, it’s not easy to save parts of a bridge,” he said. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Friday August 24, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday August 24, 2012

Corporate Quebec braces for the worst

The hangover from the 1995 sovereignty referendum was not pretty for Montreal. Half a year after a vote that brought Canada to within a sliver of possible breakup, Quebec’s biggest city was left badly shredded.

Its 11% unemployment rate was the highest in urban North America. Residential real estate prices were falling. The vacancy rate for downtown office towers topped 20%. Companies like Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. continued their slow head-office exodus. One Toronto property broker trying to drum up business ran ads in Montreal newspapers that read: “When the road leads you away from Montreal to Toronto, we’ll be at the other end to make you feel right at home.”

There were larger pan-Canadian consequences too, of course. Amid the constitutional crisis, lenders demanded higher interest rates to hold Canada’s debt. That November the dollar fell a cent and a half as post-referendum optimism vanished amid a realization that Canada’s unity problem remained unsolved.

Today, nine years of Liberal Party rule have restored a certain level of stability to the city and to the province as the federalist party wooed private enterprise and buried unity disagreements with Ottawa. But as Quebecers get set to vote again Sept. 4, the corporate world is bracing for change.

“It’s the first time in my life that I sense from the business community a concern this large about the result of an election and the aftermath,” said Yves-Thomas Dorval, head of the Conseil du Patronat, Quebec’s largest business lobby. “There is a lot of worry that the climate for reinvestment won’t be the same.” (Source: Financial Post) 

 

Tuesday October 30, 2001

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday October 30, 2001 Highway Mess There have been 80 accidents where Highway 407 meets Highway 403 in Burlington since the end of July.Ontario Provincial Police say only 10 of the accidents resulted in injuries, but all caused major traffic tieups and added to drivers' frustration. The 407 was supposed to move traffic through this area faster, not create more gridlock. The issue is the design of the 407 ETR (express toll route) access. The left lane on the non-toll Highway 403 flows directly on to the toll-charging 407. Drivers who aren't paying attention could find themselves either driving on the toll road or having to make a quick lane change to avoid it. These changes have been blamed for several minor collisions. The situation caused a public outcry when the 407 opened at the Freeman interchange in Burlington in August. The Ontario Transportation Ministry and 407 officials put up more signs that provide more advanced notice of the left lane becoming part of the 407 and this seemed to ease the situation. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Ontario, highway, toll roads, travel, Toronto Burlington, Hamilton, cars, QEW, 403, Gardiner, expressway

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 30, 2001

Highway Mess

There have been 80 accidents where Highway 407 meets Highway 403 in Burlington since the end of July.Ontario Provincial Police say only 10 of the accidents resulted in injuries, but all caused major traffic tieups and added to drivers’ frustration.

The 407 was supposed to move traffic through this area faster, not create more gridlock.

The issue is the design of the 407 ETR (express toll route) access.

The left lane on the non-toll Highway 403 flows directly on to the toll-charging 407.

Drivers who aren’t paying attention could find themselves either driving on the toll road or having to make a quick lane change to avoid it.

These changes have been blamed for several minor collisions.

The situation caused a public outcry when the 407 opened at the Freeman interchange in Burlington in August.

The Ontario Transportation Ministry and 407 officials put up more signs that provide more advanced notice of the left lane becoming part of the 407 and this seemed to ease the situation. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)