Toronto got the $416-million funding commitment it was seeking from the provincial government Friday to help build a new fleet of modern streetcars, but a matching pledge from the federal government never materialized as hoped.
Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller visited a Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay to announce the plan to build 204 sleek transit vehicles now has two-thirds of the funding it needs to go ahead and just lacks a federal contribution.
Federal Transportation and Infrastructure Minister John Baird has insisted the streetcar project doesn’t qualify for Ottawa’s stimulus program.
