The highly debated redevelopment of Highway 7 between Guelph and Kitchener looks to be a hot issue during the by-election campaign in the provincial riding of Kitchener-Waterloo.
Both the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives were out with announcements early Wednesday, even before Premier Dalton McGuinty went public with the news the by-election will be held on Sept. 6.
Conservative transportation critic Frank Klees, along with Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris and Kitchener-Waterloo PC candidate Tracey Weiler were at Belgian Nursery in Breslau on Wednesday to discuss the redevelopment of Highway 7.
In 2007 Ontario’s Liberal government approved a new divided four-lane highway running north of the existing highway, but delayed the construction until after 2015.
“Years of reckless overspending, managerial incompetence and failed economic policies have indefinitely delayed the desperately needed redevelopment of Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph,” said Klees at the press conference. “This is not a partisan issue this is not a Liberal or NDP or PC project this shouldn’t be, this is a practical issue that is important to the economy and the quality of life in this region.”
Klees went on to say that a Conservative government would not allow important infrastructure projects to be moved from a priority list because someone has a stronger poll politically in another part of the province.
“That is not good management and not what people expect. This will be a cornerstone commitment of a PC government that we will put important infrastructure projects beyond politics.”
For its part, the McGuinty government says it has set aside $50 million to acquire properties for the new corridor this year.
In a press release of its own, the Liberal government said Ontario continues to press the federal government for a contribution to this important regional transportation corridor and has applied to the P3 Canada Fund. Which means the government is looking for public-private partnership to provide and bring some financing to the table.
Art Sinclair, vice president of the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, said his organization is looking for support from all the major parties on this project and sees the project as both a business issue and community safety issue.
“The volume of traffic and the number of incidents along the current highway is something the community wants addressed,” said Sinclair after the press conference.
Between 2000 and 2009, seven people died and 288 people were injured on Highway 7.
“With more than 22,000 drivers traveling between Kitchener and Guelph everyday, the PC Party understands that developing Highway 7 is needed to both enhance public safety and improve the flow of goods and people,” said Harris.
Luc Lombaert, owner of Belgian Nursery on Victoria Street near Breslau, welcomes the idea of having a new highway built, calling the existing route inadequate.
“I feel the current Highway 7 doesn’t exist. The road is actually Victoria Street and people are just using the street as a highway although it is way beyond its capacity. The new highway is overdue by 20-plus years and should have been done a long time ago,” said Lombaert. “We have seen many collisions happen on the roadway and that is simply because it is overloaded. The highway is overdue.”
The proposed highway will be built 300 metres north of Victoria Street and could potentially cut through farmland and wetlands in the area.
“This is a provincial issue not just a local issue. If we are going to have the population increase that the province has projected over the next 25 years we have to have the infrastructure in place now. We can’t be building it 20 years from now when the people and the businesses are here, otherwise we are going to have grid lock and congestion,” said Sinclair adding the proposed highway has been on the agenda for 40 years and the region needs a solution sooner than later.
