Feds greenlight $400M for Capital LRT line Phase 1 work
Canada's infrastructure minister was in Edmonton on Tuesday to announce nearly $400 million in federal dollars had been greenlighted for the city's Capital Line South Phase 1 extension project.
The 4.5-kilometre line from Century Park to Ellerslie Road is expected to reduce commute times, create 9,500 construction jobs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 269,000 tonnes by 2050.
The federal money had been previously allocated, but Tuesday marked the city finally having the last approvals needed from both levels of higher government and its capital profiles in order.
"With taxpayer dollars, we're creating jobs and growing the economy, we're tackling climate change, we’re helping build more inclusive communities, and we're getting people around in faster, cleaner and more affordable ways," Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna said during a news conference that morning at the Century Park LRT station.
The money will also be used to help build an operations, maintenance and storage facility, and purchase 24 electric vehicles in the expansion of the Heritage Valley Park and Ride facility.
Edmonton has a goal to offer public transit in all city sectors by 2040. The Capital line will run under 23 Avenue and over Anthony Henday Drive, and in a future phase, be extended over Ellerslie Road.
The maintenance facility is a key part to the future building of the northwest LRT extension to Castle Downs, Mayor Don Iveson said, because it will serve the entire line.
"It's a heart breaker for folks in the northwest who are as enthusiastic about getting light rail as anyone else," the mayor commented. "But there is a ray of hope with permanent transit funding that there'll a sustainable, predictable source of funding – again, subject to the province coming to the table – to go both northwest and south. And once we have the maintenance facility, it's a fair fight for which one's going to go next, but the maintenance facility was the critical path kind of bottleneck thing that needed to happen."
That future work will be need to be funded by Ottawa's permanent transit fund, a first-of-its-kind pot that will see $3 billion handed out annually starting 2026-27, with matching comittments for projects from provincial governments.
Billions have been pledged by the federal government toward building and expanding public transit across the country. Recently, Ottawa announced it will contribute half of a $3.4 billion project to create a light-rail transit line in Hamilton, Ont. In its budget in February, the federal government earmarked $15 billion for shovel-ready projects.
"Public transit is incredibly important. It's about getting people to and from their work, their homes, faster. But it's also about climate action," McKenna said.
"You have fires that are burning, literally incinerating, towns in a matter of hours. When you consider that in B.C., seniors are dying because of the extreme heat. If you look at Europe, Europe had floods that they had never seen before. The equivalent of three months of rain over three days. Climate change is real, it is accelerating, and it is on all of us to take advantage of the solutions that already exist, including good public transit, electric buses."
She noted the conference in Edmonton was likely to be her last visit to Alberta's capital city while she is still in the federal office, and thanked Iveson for his leadership. The mayor also does not intend to rerun for office.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 members attended the Tuesday announcement with signs denouncing the contracting out of cleaning and other jobs in Edmonton and St. Albert.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.