Ottawa: Durham’s preference for Option 1, which extends GO train service to north of Highway 401 in Oshawa and Clarington, was put to Ontario’s Associate Minister of Transportation, Kinga Surma.
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter joined Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer John Henry, in expressing that Option 1 represents the best business case for a GO Lakeshore East Extension.
It will have significant economic impacts for Oshawa and Durham Region, they said.
In a statement issued yesterday, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter said he met with provincial cabinet members and other key groups during this week’s 2019 Association of Municipalities (AMO) annual conference, where he spoke about the challenges facing the community and how various levels of government need to work together to find solutions.
In his discussions at AMO, apart from the GO Lakeshore East Extension, Mayor Carter raised awareness and issued a call to action on the following issues.
Transitioning Oshawa’s highly trained automotive workforce: Mayor Carter spoke with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and her caucus about the issues facing Oshawa’s highly trained automotive workforce and the work underway in community to help it transition workers when the Oshawa General Motors (GM) Assembly plant closes this year and GM begins its $170 million investment into a test track for autonomous and advanced technological vehicles.
The city continues to work with its academic partners to support workers who will lose their jobs through retraining programs and other employment opportunities.
Mayor Carter urged the Opposition Leader to be more public in her GM discussions and stressed the resiliency of the Oshawa community, which is proud of its automotive manufacturing heritage while also redefining itself to continue to be an active force in the new world of automated vehicles.
National health crisis: In his address to the joint Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus/Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario, Mayor Carter urged the formation of a working group to address the national health crisis being caused by issues related to poverty, mental health, addictions and shelter-less individuals in the community.
Mayor Carter offered to chair the working group.
He also spoke to Ontario Minister of Health and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott about more provincial support for these health and social-related issues and urged her to support the building of any new future hospital for Durham in Oshawa, where there is key health care research being conducted by the City’s academic partners.
Ontario municipal funding cuts in 2020: While expressing the challenges Oshawa will face with provincial downloading, Mayor Carter told Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips and President of Treasury Board Peter Bethlenfalvy that the City of Oshawa is embracing the provincial audit.
He assured them that the City uses LEAN management principles and is doing a line-by-line review of all finances. Oshawa community members have received and will continue to receive value for their tax dollar.
“Our conversations were productive, spirited and positive – on all levels with respect to issues impacting our city,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “I look forward to meeting with the Premier and his Ministers again before the end of the year to keep advancing these important issues.”