1) The Ontario legislature is back Monday. Critics say Ford is keener on electioneering

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Allison Jones and Liam Casey, October 20, 2024

Ontario’s legislature will resume sitting Monday after an unusually long summer break, and returns in the midst of intense speculation that Premier Doug Ford will call an early election.

Some of the premier’s remarks and announcements over the past few months — from the idea to dig a tunnel under Highway 401 to spending $225 million to put beer, wine and coolers in corner stores earlier than planned — are evidence that Ford is more focused on electioneering than governing, opposition critics say.

Politicians on both sides of the legislature are already thinking ahead to a possible early contest, with more than half a dozen members of provincial parliament already announcing they will not run in the next election, even though it is officially a little over two years away.

The next fixed election date isn’t until June 2026. But Ford has left the door open to calling one next year, giving his own caucus members a December deadline to decide if they will run again.

So far, two backbenchers have bowed out, as has Speaker Ted Arnott, after 34 years at the legislature. Kaleed Rasheed, who serves as an independent after getting kicked out of the Progressive Conservative caucus, made a similar announcement. Three NDP representatives have indicated they will instead seek federal nominations.

On Monday, when the legislature sits for the first time in 19 weeks, the government is set to introduce a bill aimed at easing the congestion that is frustrating some Greater Toronto Area voters.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced that the legislation would facilitate construction 24 hours a day, accelerate property acquisitions and an environmental assessment for Highway 413 and require municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic.

Fighting gridlock was one of the main legislative priorities Ford highlighted Thursday in a speech, saying he calls his transportation minister every time he’s stuck in a traffic jam.

“I was driving home the other night, it was about 11:30, I look on the 401 and I don’t know what the reason was, it was packed on both sides of the highway,” he told the Empire Club of Canada crowd. 

“People just want to get home. They want to get to work. We want to get goods to their destination a lot quicker.”

Opposition leaders say Ford’s 401 tunnel idea appears half-baked and designed to shore up votes among frustrated drivers rather than offering any real solutions.

“It appears that he’s in campaign mode and it also appears that he’s blowing a lot of smoke to distract people from the real concerns people have,” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

The opposition parties hope to steer the legislative focus to what they see as more pressing concerns, such as the 2.5 million Ontarians without a family doctor and a housing supply shortage.

“I think this is a premier who’s more focused, and has been, on gimmicks than on actually addressing the struggles that people are feeling,” said NDP Leader Marit Stiles. 

“His priority has been, over the last few months … putting beer in corner stores, and not actually addressing the crisis in our emergency rooms, the hallway health care that has gotten worse under his government.”

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said she plans to be around the legislature more, although she remains without a seat and one may not open up until the election is called. 

Crombie said she would lay out her party’s vision for the province in the coming months to provide a contrast to Ford’s plan, as a possible early campaign hangs in the air.

“What this government is really good at doing is booze, bike lanes and boondoggles and fantasy tunnels to distract from the real needs of Ontarians,” Crombie said.

Beyond the gridlock bill, another major piece of legislation expected in the coming weeks is the province’s plan to deal with the ongoing overdose crisis.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones has said the legislation would result in the closure of 10 supervised consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and daycares.

It would also ban new sites from opening, and bar communities from participating in the federal safe supply program, in which pharmaceutical grade opioids are prescribed to those with substance-use disorders as a method to counter toxic street drugs that are rife with fentanyl.

In their place, the province plans to launch 19 new “homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs” next year, plus 375 highly supportive housing units at a cost of $378 million. The move has outraged health-care workers, homeless people and advocates. 

Big moves are also expected in the energy file, which Ford pointed to in his speech as another legislative priority. 

The Independent Electricity System Operator announced last week that Ontario’s demand for electricity will surge by 75 per cent between now and 2050, setting the stage for Energy Minister Stephen Lecce to soon unveil his “vision” for how to boost the province’s supply.

2) (Updated) Ontario aiming to become energy superpower, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says;

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Allison Jones, October 22, 2024

Ontario’s energy minister wants the province’s electricity system to not just be able to meet an expected 75 per cent increase in demand, but to exceed it and be able to sell excess power to other jurisdictions, promising details in a forthcoming energy plan.

Stephen Lecce released a document Tuesday that outlines his vision for a clean, reliable and affordable grid, as well as how to integrate electricity planning with other aspects of the energy system.

The release follows an announcement last week from the Independent Electricity System Operator, which said that demand is increasing faster than previously anticipated and is set to grow by 75 per cent leading up to 2050.  

The Ministry of Energy and Electrification document says the province will continue prioritizing nuclear and hydroelectric generation for baseload power, but that Ontario also needs natural gas generation for reliability as it is more able to respond to peak demands.

In 2021, the electricity system was 94 per cent emissions-free, and that is now down to 87 per cent as the province relies more on natural gas generation and nuclear units undergo refurbishment — but the ministry says that natural gas will help reduce emissions in the province overall by supporting broader electrification.

Ontario’s grid is one of the cleanest in the world, and the province can use that to its advantage to become an energy superpower, Lecce said.

“Our priority is obviously first and foremost securing affordable energy for the people of Ontario,” he said in an interview. 

“But yes, we do believe Ontario is well-positioned. We already are a net exporter of clean energy into the U.S. We want to scale that up with a focus on delivering jobs and revenue back to Ontarians.”

Ontario’s electricity system has interties with Manitoba, Quebec, Minnesota, Michigan and New York, and Ontario has been a net exporter to them since 2006, the document said, but that energy is sometimes sold at a loss.

Now, the IESO is developing an export strategy to generate new revenue streams.

“Many of Ontario’s interconnected jurisdictions have an anticipated shortfall or a clean energy commitment to meet (i.e. New York, Maryland and Illinois) or both (i.e. Michigan and Minnesota) but are currently reliant on resources like coal, which could be replaced with clean energy imports,” the ministry document said.

Ontario can also become a leading exporter of energy technology, Lecce said, pointing to several agreements the province has in place with other jurisdictions on small modular reactors.

When it comes to expanding electricity generation to meet domestic demand, the province is already undertaking a large procurement for new resources, and is planning four small modular nuclear reactors as well as looking into a new, large-scale nuclear plant. 

Ontario will need to do more, Lecce said, though he did not divulge any specific projects he is eyeing.

“My commitment is to build that plan using the lowest-price options, competitive procurements and making affordability the No. 1 priority that drives our decision,” he said. 

“But in short, yes, we’re going to do much, much more to build out the energy security Ontarians deserve.”

Ontario will release an integrated energy plan looking forward to 2050, Lecce said.

Advocacy group Environmental Defence said it welcomes Tuesday’s announcement of a “plan to plan,” noting that it comes after the Progressive Conservative government years ago removed a requirement for the province to issue regular long-term energy plans. The last one was published in 2017.

Ontario is also planning to announce new energy efficiency programs later this year.

“We’re going to be unveiling what will be a significant energy conservation program for families and for small- and medium-sized enterprises,” Lecce said at a press conference. 

“We are looking at giving every incentive possible to businesses to produce power for their own needs, that applies to families too, and also incentives to renovate their homes to help reduce the utilization of energy so that we can reduce their bills.” 

3) Ontario plans to speed up new home connections to electricity grid

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Allison Jones, October 21, 2024

Ontario’s energy minister says he will introduce legislation to make it easier for new homes and businesses to connect to the electricity grid.

Stephen Lecce says that under the current rules, the process is slow and expensive, increasing costs for homebuyers and deterring home building.

Lecce says right now, a residential development of 200 homes would pay the full cost of building new infrastructure needed to connect to the grid, but under his planned legislation to reduce upfront capital costs the project would only have to pay for the electricity load the homes will use.

Lecce says the current system is making building difficult in new areas because no one wants to take on the risk and the extra cost.

The Progressive Conservative government has pledged to get 1.5 million homes built by 2031 and it has not yet met any of its annual targets toward that goal, though it came very close last year after it started counting long-term care beds.

Housing Minister Paul Calandra has pointed to external factors including high interest rates as hampering building, and developers have been pushing all levels of government to reduce or eliminate various fees they pay.

4) Ontario Government engineers to withdraw services from Bradford Bypass, Highway 413 (labour dispute)

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Allison Jones, October 23, 2024

A group of professional engineers plan to soon withdraw services from key Ontario infrastructure projects Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass as part of a bargaining dispute with the province.

Members of the Professional Engineers Government of Ontario, which represents more than 600 professional engineers and land surveyors who work for the province, started a work-to-rule campaign earlier this month.

Members’ earnings have fallen so far behind that they sometimes earn half of what people in similar positions at municipalities make, their bargaining association said. They are behind the market by 30 to 50 per cent, said president Nihar Bhatt.

Bhatt said no meaningful progress has been made in bargaining with the Treasury Board Secretariat so far, even though the engineers have been without a contract for 20 months. He did not give a specific percentage increase he is looking for but said it is “significant.”

“This bargaining is just the culmination of a decade long of talks on this issue, and suddenly, when they realize how far behind the market they are, they’re like, ‘Oh, these numbers are, like, really big,'” Bhatt said. 

“Yeah, they are because you ignored it for a decade, and this is where we are. So that’s the problem and the infrastructure agenda of the province, whether it be new stuff or existing, both need to be overseen by people who know what they’re doing.”

The engineers have been engaging in a work-to-rule campaign, which includes not doing unpaid overtime or working outside of their set hours, but will now be escalating their job action. 

Starting in the next few days, a small group of engineers will stop working on the two highway projects that are loudly championed by Premier Doug Ford.

“So right now, the impacts are going to be felt in the planning and design stages of the projects, which is where both 413 and Bradford Bypass are at,” Bhatt said. 

“There are some major milestones coming up in the next few weeks which should impact projects in the long run.”

A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney said the government has held numerous bargaining sessions with PEGO since July 2023.

“The government has been negotiating in good faith and will continue to do so,” Liz Tuomi said in a statement, adding that all ministries have continuity plans in case of labour action. 

5) (Updated) Ontario tables bill that would give province power to veto, eliminate some bike lanes

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Liam Casy, October 21, 2024

Ontario tabled its first bill of the fall legislative sitting on Monday, in a bid to give the province veto power over some bike lanes, accelerate highway construction projects and ease environmental assessments for new highways.

The province is also trying to give itself power through regulation to remove existing bike lanes, although it’s not clear how that process will work.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised last week to clear some bike lanes, and the government appears to have several Toronto examples in mind. 

“Not everybody can use a bike to get around,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

“These are some of our major arterial roads, whether it be Bloor or University or Yonge Street. People need to get to and from work. We need to make this city a better place, an easier place to get around.”

The bill would require municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic.

Last week, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario slammed the province for the proposed change, calling it a “significant overreach” of power. 

The association questioned how the Ministry of Transportation would be better able to make decisions about local transportation matters than cities themselves.

It complained that none of the 444 municipalities in Ontario were consulted about the move.

Sarkaria was unapologetic about his government’s decision, saying municipalities can submit their concerns about the bill as it wends its way towards becoming law.

“This is something we need to take under control,” he said. “We need to move people faster.”

Ford has previously complained about bike lanes on Bloor Street West creating gridlock on a road that is about a 10-minute drive from his home in Toronto’s west end.

The province is focusing on the wrong issues, said New Democrat Leader Marit Stiles. 

“He wants to keep meddling in everybody’s business,” she said of Ford.

“He needs to focus on the priorities of Ontarians, which are the basics that a provincial government should be responsible for: building the homes that people can afford, fixing schools, hiring doctors, making life more affordable.”

In its overall bid to ease gridlock, the bill also seeks to facilitate construction 24 hours a day and accelerate property acquisitions.

It is also exempting the planned Highway 413 project from the provincial Environmental Assessment Act. 

Instead, the bill would create a new, sped-up version of the assessment process under a new Highway 413 Act. The same process would be applied to extensions of Highways 410 and 427, which are expected to meet up with the new expressway north of Toronto.

“We’re very committed to getting this done and won’t let anything stand in the way of that,” Sarkaria said.

He said the province, under different governments, has studied Highway 413 for the past two decades. 

“We continue to have some of the most rigorous environmental standards put forward on this project,” Sarkaria said. “They are still moving forward.”

Sarkaria wouldn’t say how much Highway 413 will cost taxpayers.

Killing the environmental assessment for the project is “completely irresponsible and reckless,” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

“We saw the flooding that happened in the (Greater Toronto Area) this summer, costing over a billion dollars in insurable damages,” he said.

“Shortchanging the environmental assessment, building Highway 413, paving over the headwaters and major rivers coming into the City of Toronto will only make flooding in the GTA worse.”

The legislation undermines transit and cycling infrastructure that is proven to reduce congestion and lower emissions, advocacy group Environmental Defence said.

“More highways mean more gridlock, more wasted time, more destroyed natural areas and more pollution,” said Tim Gray, the group’s executive director. 

The province is also ignoring the fate of dozens of federally protected endangered species and risks damaging the Humber, Credit and Holland Rivers, he said.

Politicians returned to Queen’s Park on Monday after a 19-week summer break.

Opposition party leaders went into the fall sitting saying some of Premier Doug Ford’s recent remarks and announcements, such as the idea to dig a tunnel for traffic and transit under Highway 401, are evidence he is focused more on electioneering than governing.

Ford has not ruled out calling an election in 2025, before the next fixed election date in June 2026