Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter has revealed to Durham Post that Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) on the GO train expansion from Oshawa to Bowmanville, are going out following the green light from Ontario Treasury.
“I’m glad to see that the premier made the announcement, and glad it was in the budget,” he said in an exclusive interview, which is scheduled for publication tomorrow.
“I’m optimistic that this project is moving forward, and I take the word of the finance minister to heart that it’s been approved by Treasury. RFPs and RFQs are going out the door as we speak,” he explained.
However, he cautioned. “But the day that I celebrate is the day that I finally see a shovel in the ground preparing the pre-work, even with the bridges and the rails, all that work that needs to be done. That’s the day I’ll be really, really happy”.
Recently, the mayor made a statement to the business community that in fall Metrolinx is going to start procurement.
Procurement Starting
“Yes. Metrolinx has got it on their website. There are RFQs and RFPs. They’ve already put out for a construction manager, so they’ve already started. I spoke to the finance minister directly to ask if Treasury had fully approved this project. He told me that it’s 100 per cent approved by Treasury. I have to take his word for it. So, it appears by all indications – both by the provincial government and by Metrolinx – that they’re absolutely moving forward with it.
“But again, I can’t wait to see a shovel in the ground. I think that all of us are, as every time we think it’s done, something else happens,” he added.
Mayor Carter said it’s a credibility issue. “My argument with both the premier and the finance minister is you shouldn’t have announced it in the budget. You should have announced it prior to the budget, because people interpret that as an election budget”.
Carter pointed out that when you look at Bowmanville and you look at Kaitlin and the investment that they made, you see that it’s ready to go. You see Courtice, it’s ready to go. You look at Oshawa and you look at Knob Hill Farms, we’re ready to go. We’ve put our secondary plans into place. We work with developers to try to prepare the area. We understand the infrastructure changes that are necessary. We’ve had the conversations with GO Transit about how to do these transit hubs that become a healthy environment for residential, commercial, office, green space…
“Everybody’s been at the table and brought solutions. Now all we have to do is get the work done,” added the Oshawa Mayor.
Read full interview tomorrow.
