Eglinton Crosstown delay will continue to hurt small businesses: BIA chair
The latest delay of the Eglinton Crosstown transit line will further hurt small businesses that have already been bearing the “brunt” of the long-term construction project, says the chair of the Eglinton Way BIA.
Maureen Sirois told CP24 on Monday that many Eglinton business owners are frustrated following an announcement from Metrolinx on Friday that it would not be able to meet a previously-set target of September for completion of the project.
“It is outrageous that it should be going on this long,” said Sirois. “This is the third delay that we’ve faced with regards to Metrolinx and it’s really disappointing and people are really frustrated.”
Metrolinx offered no new target date for completion of the LRT.
Sirois said that many businesses have been impacted by the construction for over a decade since it began in 2011, but haven’t had any direct compensation from Metrolinx.
Construction on the line began in 2011 and was initially scheduled to be completed in 2020.
The project, however, has been plagued by repeated delays.
“There’s been absolutely no compensation directly to any of the businesses,” said Sirois. “The businesses have been bearing the brunt of the construction of this important infrastructure project.”
Sirois stressed that none of the businesses in her BIA are against the project and that they celebrate more transit being built in the city, however she said that “transit should not be built on the backs of small business.”
In a statement on Friday, Metrolinx CEO Phil Vester said that Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the construction consortium responsible for building the project, had fallen behind schedule and was unable to finalize construction and testing.
Vester added that Metrolinx would do “everything to hold Crosslinx Transit Solutions accountable and to redouble efforts to meet their commitments” but he did not provide a new timeline.
“This could go on for a year, 18 months, god forbid 24 months,” Sirois said. “We don’t need this, it has to be completed.”
Crosslinx previously filed a lawsuit against Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario in October 2020 in which they argued that they should not be held accountable for delays or cost overruns on the project because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A judge eventually sided with the consortium and the two sides renegotiated an agreement in December that would have seen the line substantially completed by September 2022 and in operation several months later.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.