‘Fair is fair’: Mayor Watson says Ottawa wants ‘equal treatment’ on provincial transit funding

After Premier Doug Ford indicated on Wednesday that the provincial government is willing to cover the full cost of the Greater Toronto Area’s $28.5-billion transit plan, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he’ll be pushing for the national capital to “get equal treatment” from Queen’s Park on funding for future transit projects.

The province recently confirmed its $1.2-billion contribution to Stage 2 of Ottawa’s LRT expansion. Next, the city hopes to extend the light-rail network to Stittsville, Kanata and Barrhaven as part of Stage 3, but the mayor reiterated on Wednesday that the city doesn’t have the cash to go it alone.

“We’re going to be counting on 50-50 dollars from the federal and provincial governments or, in the case of what we just heard about Toronto, 100 per cent provincial dollars,” Watson said following city council’s meeting on Wednesday. “I think it gives us good hope that there’s an open mind at Queen’s Park that if they’re willing to do it for Toronto, they should be willing to do it for the second-largest city.”

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On Wednesday, Ford also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to uploading the TTC subway infrastructure to the province. Speaking to reporters, Watson argued that “the residents of Ottawa will be paying for that through their provincial taxes.”

“So I think fair is fair and I will be pushing our case that we continue to want to get equal treatment as Toronto does in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton,” he said.

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He was quick to clarify, however, that he doesn’t want Ottawa’s public transit service, OC Transpo, to be uploaded, too; the city wants “the same funding agreement,” he said.

“If the province is willing to take over 100 per cent costs of operating subways or certain lines from the TTC then Ottawa residents should expect the same, and that’ll be part of our pitch over the next couple of years,” Watson said.

Watson said the city isn’t expecting any transit cash for Stage 2 in Thursday’s provincial budget “above and beyond” the province’s previously announced contribution.

—With a file from Travis Dhanraj