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Writer's pictureMayor Rick Bonnette

Mayor’s Monthly Column - March 2021

Halton Hills Council is now getting huge support in fighting the 413 Superhighway. I opposed this highway years ago when the Liberals were in power. They held a three-member panel which I spoke at in 2017. A year later it was killed, so we thought. About a week later after taking office the Ford government announced it was resuming the highway and fast tracking the Environmental Assessment. This highway has more lives than a cat.


Halton Hills council back in 2019 had another resolution of Council to adamantly oppose it. Why are we opposed? This will pave over 2,000 acres of farmland and 400 acres of protected greenbelt land. This will not fix congestion. This will lead to more urban sprawl as developers will be building houses along the new route. Adding a highway is like Homer Simpson loosening his belt buckle at a buffet thinking he is not gaining weight. Estimates for the highway are from 6-10 billion dollars. I believe the pandemic will have profound changes to our lifestyles that more people will work from home. Make a deal with the owners of the 407 (which is underutilized as it is) for dedicated truck routes. Invest in public transit. Put money in rural broadband so people can work from home and not get into their cars.


Mississauga has now officially opposed it thanks to a motion by Councillor Parish. Mayor Bonnie Crombie stated “GTA west highway will have a disastrous impact on the environment, encourage residential sprawl and increase our dependence on cars”. Vaughan is now opposed as are many GTA commuters, as is our MP Mike Chong and MPP Ted Arnott is questioning it.


We have to think beyond the present, like where will our food sources come from within the GTA. With climate change who knows if we will be getting produce from the USA.


In my last column I wrote about Councillor Jane Fogal’s resolution to halt the plans to develop to 2051 during a pandemic without proper consultation. I am pleased to share with you Halton Regional Council unanimously supported it. The Province demands the Municipalities to have their plans by spring 2022. Hopefully, like our stance on the 413, we will have other Municipalities ask the province to put on the brakes.




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