Canadians are reacting to emails showing Doug Ford’s office directing Metrolinx to keep the Eglinton Crosstown LRT opening date kept secret.
Metrolinx originally promised to complete the Eglinton LRT in 2020. However, according to emails obtained through a freedom of information request, the Toronto Star found emails from the Ford government ordering Metrolinx to stay quiet.
The transit agency planned to release the estimated completion date last year, but Ford’s office shut it down. Later that month, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster held a press conference saying he made a decision to not announce when the LRT would be finished and still has no confirmation, according to the Star.
NDP Party Leader Marit Stiles posted a slew of tweets probing the Ford’s government on their actions.
“This is a massive public-private partnership failure that no one is being held accountable for,” Stiles said.
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie called out Ford for years of doing “shady things with our democracy.”
Several local politicians have also spoken up about the recent findings.
Don Valley West City Councillor candidate Rachel Chernos Lin posted a tweet on X saying the Crosstown delays are frustrating for business and residents.
“Government leaders should be leading with honesty + holding agencies like Metrolinx accountable, not telling them to keep secrets from the public,” Lin said.
NDP MPP for Spadina-Fort York Chris Glover questioned how Ford “covers up his incompetence.”
Online, many Canadians are annoyed with Ford’s government and Metrolinx.
“Metrolinx was created as an arm’s length agency to prevent political meddling like this,” someone on X said.
“How funny that the CEO of Metrolinx got a mega raise from Ford for keeping his silence. Our tax dollars [are] being wasted. That definitely doesn’t reek of corruption,” another X user said.
Others are discussing the potential reasons behind the delay of opening the LRT.
“My understanding is that the new tunnels are not big enough to take the subway cars. Oops! But, we could open the line tomorrow and go straight to shuttle buses, the same as the rest of the TTC,” one person on X said.
“They’re having problems completing things around Yonge and Eglinton? I understand that. But actually not releasing to the public what the holdup is and why it’s happening is reprehensible considering this is taxpayers money going down the tubes daily,” a Reddit user said.
