OTTAWA — Ottawa’s beleaguered LRT system will become the responsibility of Queen’s Park, the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader promised Tuesday.
Speaking at a manufacturing plant in Ottawa’s east end on Tuesday, Doug Ford said that a re-elected PC government would integrate OC Transpo’s three-line LRT system — along with two extension projects already under construction — into Metrolinx.
“It’s about supporting economic growth,” Ford said.
“This is about protecting Ontario and protecting Ottawa. With a strong, stable, four-year mandate that outlives and outlasts the Trump administration, we will navigate this period of economic uncertainty, we still stare down the threat of (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s tariffs and do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario, our workers, our businesses and communities.”
Constant maintenance woes, equipment problems and long delays are hallmarks of Ottawa’s problem-plagued LRT with its recently opened stage 2 south extension intended to be operational in 2022.
Ford’s campaign stop came one day after Trump announced a 30-day reprieve from launching his trade war against Canada, prompting political leaders across all levels of government to breathe an uncertain sigh of relief.
Protecting workers has become a key plank in Ford’s campaign to grow his mandate. Tuesday’s campaign stop saw the PC leader tour the shop floor at Ottawa manufacturer AMBICO, where he was invited to operate a large industrial sheet-metal cutter.
A few moments after pressing a button on the control panel, the machine produced a large piece of sheet metal with “Protect Ontario Workers” laser-cut into it.
“Mark my words, President Trump is on a mission,” Ford told reporters.
“He wants to take Ontario’s auto jobs and send them to Michigan and North Carolina — those are his words.”
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Ford maintains he’s the province’s only choice to stand up to Trump despite a hot microphone at a Monday campaign stop catching him saying he was pleased to see Trump win last year’s presidential race.
Ford ducked direct questions about his comments, but said he’d hoped things would’ve turned out differently.
“I always believe in working with anyone. On a hot mike, yeah, (Trump) makes me swear once in a while, I think he makes a lot of people swear in this country,” he said.
“I thought it’d be a little different, a little change, but obviously he decided to pull the knife out and stab us. My No. 1 job is to protect Ontario, to protect Canadians and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
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