Minister's Response on the Designation Request for the Bradford Bypass Project

Bradford Bypass Project

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is proposing the construction, operation and maintenance of a new 16.2-kilometre four-lane controlled access highway located north of the Greater Toronto Area. This proposed project, also known as the Highway 400-404 Connecting Link, the Highway 400-404 Extension Link or the Holland Marsh Highway, would connect Highway 400 in Bradford West Gwillimbury (Simcoe County) to Highway 404 in East Gwillimbury (Regional Municipality of York) and cross north King Township. The corridor would require a new 100-metre wide right-of-way, and would cross over the Holland River and Holland River East Branch within the Holland Marsh. The Project would also include the replacement of the 9th Line structure on Highway 400.

Decision

Non-designated project.

Reasons

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has considered the potential for the Project to cause adverse effects within federal jurisdiction, adverse direct or incidental effects, public concern related to these effects, as well as adverse impacts on the Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. The Minister also considered the analysis of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

The Minister has reached the decision that the designation of the Project is unwarranted for the following reasons:

• the regulatory review processes that apply to the Project and related consultations with Indigenous peoples provide a framework to address the potential adverse aforementioned effects and public concerns raised in relation to those effects. These include:
  • provincial approvals and permits pursuant to the Environmental Assessment Act, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Heritage Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act.
• the Project must comply with relevant provisions of federal legislation, including the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, the Fisheries Act and the Explosives Act.