TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is frowning on a proposal for a high-speed rail link between Ontario and Quebec that would boost the economy and help the environment, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday.
Without federal support, the proposed link between Windsor, Ont., and Quebec City may never get off the ground, McGuinty said.
"I continue to be a big fan of (the plan), as does (Quebec Premier) Jean Charest," McGuinty said.
"The prime minister is not as much of a fan on this score."
McGuinty didn't say what objections Harper may have to the proposal, which has floated around for more than a decade.
There are plenty of reasons why it should go ahead, McGuinty said.
"I like it because it fights climate change, it fights traffic congestion -- so it enhances our productivity levels -- it creates jobs, and it enhances our quality of life," he said.
Experts have advised the province to do a better job of connecting big communities to build a strong economy, he added.
"It does all those things, which is why I think it's a worthwhile project."
The federal government has said in the past that Canada wasn't yet ready for high-speed trains.
While they may not see eye-to-eye on the project, the three governments are jointly spending $3 million for another feasibility study.
The new study, awarded to the EcoTrain Consortium, will examine the cost and environmental impact of the project, as well as the level of demand for the service, the Ontario government said in a release Monday.
The report will also update information that was previously gathered in earlier studies, it said.
