Additional information for designation consideration

We would like to provide additional information that Minister Wilkinson and the Impact Assessment Agency may find useful in making the designation determination for the Ontario Line project.

• There is an overwhelming support from local residents and businesses for a federally conducted impact assessment. Save Jimmie Simpson! and Lakeshore East Community Advisory Committee’s joint request to designate the Ontario Line project has received over 120 public comments in support on the federal registry (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/81350/contributions) as of this writing.

• We have endorsements from Riverside BIA (http://www.riverside-to.com/), Ralph Thornton Community Centre (https://www.ralphthornton.org/), Animal Alliance of Canada (https://www.animalalliance.ca/), Agincourt Village Community Association (http://www.avcatoronto.ca/), Pape Area Concerned Citizens for Transit (http://www.pacct.info/), York Quay Neighbourhood Association (http://yqna.ca/), Riverdale Historical Society (https://riverdalehistoricalsociety.com/), Small’s Creek (https://www.lakeshoreeasttrains.com/smalls-creek-and-merrill-bridge-park), Councillor Paula Fletcher and MPP Peter Tabuns.

• South Riverdale Community Health Centre (https://www.srchc.ca/) has publicly joined the call in this tweet (https://twitter.com/SRiverdaleCHC/status/1363857454044483584?s=19) to designate the Ontario Line project saying it is a major step in ensuring that the project is environmentally safe and does not compromise community health.

• Based on correspondence from Metrolinx to an individual in SJS, it appears the provincial transit agency is aware that the Ontario Line project will expose local residents to dangerous levels of noise and vibration (above regulated guidelines).

• Metrolinx has stated that their environmental impact assessment (to be released after construction has begun) will not include a health assessment despite running foul of a number of environmental and health standards.

• Tom Cowie, a member of Hiawatha First Nation, has commented (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/81350/contributions/id/53480) on the federal registry that Metrolinx has inundated their office with technical information and presented the same Powerpoint at every meeting. He argues, Metrolinx delivered their reports and studies after the fact without input from their concerns, calling it an information sharing session not a consultation.

• The City of Toronto passed a motion (MM28.17 (http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.MM28.17)) on February 2, 2021 officially asking Metrolinx to put the Ontario Line underground in Riverside and Leslieville.

• Prof. Michael Wilson and Kerry Waddell of McMaster University have put together this transit evidence synthesis (https://www.mcmasterforum.org/find-evidence/products/project/planning-mass-transit-projects). Key findings include:
  • Green space loss has negative impacts on public health over and above the direct environmental impact.
  • The increased noise of over-ground transit is not necessarily mitigated by barriers. New barriers can create problems of their own in dense urban areas (e.g., dividing communities).
  • When public health as well as transportation experts jointly make decisions about where/how to build a transit line, the results are better for communities.

• Save Jimmie Simpson! in partnership with Ralph Thornton Community Centre hosted “Train Wreck? (https://savejimmiesimpson.ca/trainwreck2021.html)”, a successful webinar about the impacts of the Ontario Line on our community. The community’s wish to get more information was palpable as over 250 participants joined and stayed for the entire event.

• CBC News did a story (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/metrolinx-ontario-line-best-route-above-ground-through-leslieville-1.5903885) on February 6, 2021 about the impact of the Ontario Line in our neighbourhood, highlighting our community’s concerns. There was an on-air programming as well as radio coverage.