Mayor Rob Ford is heading to Ottawa where he says he will ask his federal counterparts for more money to help fund subways and roads.
Ford will be attending a meeting of The Federation of Canadian Municipalities where he will speak face-to-face with 21 other Canadian mayors. A number of federal politicians are also expected to be in attendance and infrastructure funding is expected to dominate the conversation.
“Years of under-investing has left us far behind on where we should be on transit and housing. My administration has accomplished a great deal on this front but we can’t do it alone,” Ford told reporters at a city hall news conference Tuesday morning. “The federal and provincial governments must acknowledge the unique needs of the largest city in Canada. My trip to Ottawa is an important opportunity to advocate for Toronto on these extremely, extremely important issues.”
Ford has skipped out on the big city mayor’s meeting in the past and has repeatedly criticized councillors for attending other FCM events.
On Tuesday, Ford suggested that a new $14-billion federal infrastructure fund announced earlier this month has partially accounted for his change of heart. The Building Canada Fund will see the federal government fund up to 50 per cent of the cost of transit projects.
Ford said he will push for funding for both subway projects and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation during the meeting.
“As mayor it is my job to make sure that Toronto receives its fair share of the funding,” Ford said. “Toronto plays a central role in regional and national prosperity and the reality is that as Canada’s biggest city Toronto has major, major demands on its infrastructure.”
