Latest news with #OntarioLine
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ontario, Toronto to build new electricity transmission line to power city's downtown
Toronto is getting a third electricity transmission line to help power the city's downtown and replace aging infrastructure. The project will help support the city's growth and major transit expansions like the Ontario Line while making the city's electricity grid more reliable, said Stephen Lecce, minister of energy and mines, at a news conference Wednesday morning. "Today is about planning ahead, about doing the hard work to make sure Toronto has the energy infrastructure needs, not just for today, but for decades to come," Lecce said. Toronto's electricity demand is expected to roughly double by 2050, with the greatest need coming from the downtown core, the province said in a news release. "That's not just because we're building new homes or the Ontario Line. It's because of the electrification of vehicles, of heating and industry," Lecce said. "It's because this city is a magnet for towers and investment and economic growth." Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has determined that the city will need a third transmission line in order to keep up with demand. The city currently gets its electricity through two transmission supply paths: one from the west at Manby Transmission Station near Kipling Road and Dundas Street, and one from the east at Leaside Transformer Station near Overlea Boulevard and Millwood Road. Those transmission lines will start to reach their capacity in the early 2030s, the news release says. The IESO is expected to make its final recommendation to the government on where the third transmission line should be built by August, after which the Ontario government will determine when construction on the project could begin. The transmission line could take between seven to 10 years to complete, Lecce said. The IESO has identified three potential options for where the new transmission line could be built: An overland route from Pickering to Leaside in Toronto. An overland route from Pickering to the Port Lands in Toronto. An underwater cable from Darlington or Pickering to the Port Lands in Toronto. The IESO will be consulting with the City of Toronto, Indigenous communities, key stakeholders and the public over the summer before it makes its final recommendation on the best option for the project, the news release says.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Ontario, Toronto to build new electricity transmission line to power city's downtown
Toronto is getting a third electricity transmission line to help power the city's downtown and replace aging infrastructure. The project will help support the city's growth and major transit expansions like the Ontario Line while making the city's electricity grid more reliable, said Stephen Lecce, minister of energy and mines, at a news conference Wednesday morning. "Today is about planning ahead, about doing the hard work to make sure Toronto has the energy infrastructure needs, not just for today, but for decades to come," Lecce said. Toronto's electricity demand is expected to roughly double by 2050, with the greatest need coming from the downtown core, the province said in a news release. "That's not just because we're building new homes or the Ontario Line. It's because of the electrification of vehicles, of heating and industry," Lecce said. "It's because this city is a magnet for towers and investment and economic growth." 3rd line needed to keep up with demand Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has determined that the city will need a third transmission line in order to keep up with demand. The city currently gets its electricity through two transmission supply paths: one from the west at Manby Transmission Station near Kipling Road and Dundas Street, and one from the east at Leaside Transformer Station near Overlea Boulevard and Millwood Road. Those transmission lines will start to reach their capacity in the early 2030s, the news release says. The IESO is expected to make its final recommendation to the government on where the third transmission line should be built by August, after which the Ontario government will determine when construction on the project could begin. The transmission line could take between seven to 10 years to complete, Lecce said. The IESO has identified three potential options for where the new transmission line could be built: An overland route from Pickering to Leaside in Toronto. An overland route from Pickering to the Port Lands in Toronto. An underwater cable from Darlington or Pickering to the Port Lands in Toronto.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Canada's Rapid Transit System Gets Big Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One of the largest public transport projects in Canada has reached a new milestone after it broke ground on a major part of its underground infrastructure. The Ontario Line began work on Queen Station in Toronto today as part of the latest stage in the CA$27 billion (about $19 billion) rapid transit project. Newsweek contacted authorities in Toronto for more information on the progress via email. Why It Matters Once complete, the Ontario Line is expected to handle 388,000 daily boardings, provide 40 connections to other modes of transit, and reduce vehicle traffic by 28,000 daily car trips. The current plans for the route include 15 stops, taking passengers from Ontario Place to Don Valley on the other side of Canada's largest city. What To Know Queen Station, one of the eight underground stations in the center of Toronto, broke ground on, according to local media reports on Monday. The Queen Station site will involve the excavation of over 100,000 cubic meters (about 3.5 million cubic feet) of dirt and rock to construct a platform located 40 meters (over 130 feet) beneath street level. The station will eventually accommodate over 15,000 riders per peak hour, according to government figures. A rendering of Queen Station in Toronto, as part of the Ontario Line. A rendering of Queen Station in Toronto, as part of the Ontario Line. Government of Ontario Construction at the site began following a May 2025 announcement and is the latest in a sequence of station developments along the line including stops at Moss Park, Corktown and East Harbour. Once fully functional, the nearly 10-mile Ontario Line is to bring around 227,500 more residents within walking distance of a transit station. Queen Station will also connect directly with the existing Toronto Transit Commission Queen subway station, creating a major interchange hub for the city. What People Are Saying In a statement on the progress, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said: "We need to get Toronto moving for drivers, pedestrians and public transit users. The Ontario Line is a vital new public transit option that will alleviate congestion and help hundreds of thousands of Torontonians get to their destination faster. "We are partnering together with the province to give riders better public transit options." Gregor Robertson, Canada's minister of housing and infrastructure, said in a statement following the announcement: "Canada is a nation of builders; this project builds connectivity for the people of Toronto to connect them to the city they love through reliable, sustainable, and affordable public transit. "I'm thrilled to see the work begin for the Queen Station to continue to build Canada strong." What Happens Next The entire Ontario Line is expected to be completed by 2031. While the Queen Station construction continues, tunneling for the Ontario Line's downtown segment will commence later this year.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Thunder Bay's Alstom plant hit with layoffs
About 200 people at Thunder Bay's Alstom plant will be laid off in the coming months, the local union president confirmed. "The layoffs are scheduled to start mid-May," Justin Roberts, president of Unifor Local 1075 said. He said the layoffs will happen intermittently with the last round expected at the end of August. They coincide with the end of a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar contract. "We were expecting this, so it's it's not a surprise to our members," Roberts said. "That line currently employs over 200 of our members." There are currently about 500 employees in total at the plant, Roberts said. "I have heard word from management that there are a few smaller contracts that they are seeking," he said. "I don't have anything official on who or what." However, Roberts said, the union is hopeful the Thunder Bay plant will win the contract to construct 55 new subway cars for Toronto's Line 2. The $2 billion contract is being split between the City of Toronto, and provincial and federal governments. Last week, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria wrote a letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, requesting that the contract be awarded to the Thunder Bay plant, as a sole-source procurement with Alstom. Sarkaria's letter stated that the move "would support Ontario workers in Thunder Bay and across our province." Previously, when the federal government announced its share of the funding, then-Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland indicated the cars would be built in Thunder Bay. A TTC spokesperson told CBC News last week that the RFP has closed, and bids are being reviewed. "Seeing the bipartisan support for our facility is great," Roberts said. "It's definitely what we need, especially to have them work together and get us the project." "We're just hoping to God that somebody will speed this up and award it to us officially on paper." Sarkaria's letter came after Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois wrote him, requesting that the cars be built in Thunder Bay. "As far as I know, it comes down to Toronto council and the TTC's directors, which is interesting because it's a three-way funding project," Vaugeois said. "So it's clear that the federal government and the provincial government would like to see the contract go to Alstom." "There is this thinking that you want the cheapest deal, but the cheapest deal is not necessarily the best deal," she said. "As we know, the Ontario Line is being manufactured in the United States, the $9 billion contract, and all of that money is being spent on workers in the United States. So it's not being recirculated in Ontario." Vaugeois said her office has asked for an update on the RFP process from the TTC, and "we want to make sure that my statement goes before the board so that they have to actually discuss it." "We also want to make sure that it's included if (the Line 2 contract) is debated at council at Toronto City Council," Vaugeois said. "So we're doing what we can from from my office to bolster the argument, basically, that if the money stays in Ontario, it is benefiting all of Ontario."
CBC
08-04-2025
- General
- CBC
Residents complain about Ontario Line construction — but Metrolinx exempt from city noise bylaws
As Toronto weather warms up and patios start to open, there's something else that inevitably comes along with the rising temperatures: construction season. But for many living near Metrolinx's Ontario Line project, construction has already been a big disrupter. Yet what many people might not know is that when it comes to Metrolinx work, the agency is exempt from the city's noise bylaws. Metrolinx says at its north site at Queen and Spadina, the work is happening around the clock, leaving no respite from the noise. "That's a little too much, especially in downtown Toronto," said Leen Taher, who lives near the site and also works from home. "You're at home and there's construction 24/7, that's crazy. You need to have at least Saturdays and Sundays off for people to feel more at peace in their own home." Taher has made multiple complaints to Metrolinx and says residents like her also want better communication about when the work is happening. Government projects exempt from noise bylaw The city's bylaws say construction noise is not permitted "when it is clearly audible from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. or until 9 a.m. on Saturdays, all-day Sunday and stat holidays." However, government projects are exempt from the noise bylaw, because of an amendment that was made in 2019. Metrolinx says it is making every effort to minimize impacts to local residents, including using less disruptive equipment, and that it's monitoring noise levels. In a statement the agency said "We are working with our contractor to explore different methods of construction to help reduce noise as work progresses." Tor Oiamo, a Toronto Metropolitan University associate professor in the department of geography and environmental studies, says it's a complicated issue, but there has to be a balance between finishing critical infrastructure in a timely manner and considering people's health and wellbeing. "But there should nonetheless be a pretty firm application and use of all types of mitigation that exist," Oiamo said. "So if it has to go on beyond the normal hours of construction allowed by the city, there should be extra care taken to make sure that those impacts are as minimal as possible."
