highway 413

Political watchdog group Democracy Watch filed a complaint with Ontario's Integrity Commissioner Tuesday about a lobbyist identified in a recent National Observer/Torstar investigation, which examined connections between the Ford government and developers with land near the proposed Highway 413.

The Bradford Bypass would cut through the protected Holland Marsh south of Lake Simcoe. It last received an environmental assessment in 1997 ⁠— before the policies protecting the area existed, and before the climate crisis was a major factor.

After a National Observer/Torstar investigation into the money, power and influence behind the controversial highway proposal, opposition parties at Queen’s Park called on the Ford government to kill the idea once and for all.

The premier’s office says the 413 is needed to serve a growing population and relieve pressure on highways that will soon be over capacity. National Observer and Torstar took an inside look at the money, power and influence behind Ontario's push to build the highway.

The proposed GTA West Corridor, which would run through the protected Greenbelt, would save commuters less than a minute. Peel Region turned its back on the idea Thursday, the latest in a flurry of councils to come out against it.

Earlier this month, the Ford government announced its preferred route for a new Greater Toronto Area highway that would cut through protected green space, a revival of a proposal that was killed by a previous government. “This highway was cancelled previously for good reasons,” says Keith Brooks from Environmental Defence.