The Ford government announced Friday it plans to build a tunnel for the Brampton portion of the Hazel McCallion Light Rail Transit (LRT), as it moves ahead with work to extend the project into downtown Brampton and Mississauga.
Premier Doug Ford, along with Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, made the announcement in Brampton, which is viewed as a key electoral battleground.
It was this news conference that Ford confirmed he will be calling an election on Wednesday, which would send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27 — more than a year before the June 2026 fixed election date.
Last year, the province agreed to expand the line despite making cuts to the project in recent years.
Formerly named the Hurontario-Main LRT, the Hazel McCallion LRT was initially designed for 23 kilometres and 26 stops. It is now 19 stops and 18 kilometres.
The province said the line extensions will enable transit riders to connect to GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Züm and MiWay routes.
According to the province, the next steps would involve detailed planning and design of the Brampton and Mississauga extensions, including an underground tunnel from the Brampton Gateway Terminal to downtown Brampton.
“Metrolinx will study ways to optimize construction and the route’s alignment to improve connection to the Brampton Innovation District GO Station and meet the City of Brampton’s vision for Main Street and the downtown core,” a provincial release states.
The province designated the extensions as a priority transit project in 2024 under the Building Transit Faster Act.
With files from Lucas Casaletto, CityNews