City disappointed there is no new money for OC Transpo in federal, Ontario budgets
Ottawa's interim city manager says the city is "disappointed" that there is no new funding for public transit in neither the federal nor Ontario budgets, and city officials will continue to pursue funding from the upper levels of government to address a gap in transit revenue.
Tuesday's federal budget contained no new money for transit infrastructure or funding to help municipalities operate transit services. The Liberal government budget does say the government will provide an update later this year on plans to provide $3 billion per year in permanent transit funding, starting in 2026.
Last week's Ontario budget also made no mention of funding for municipal transit services.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Wendy Stephanson said the COVID-19 pandemic has "disproportionately affected" the city of Ottawa and funding is needed to help the city move forward.
"I would suggest that we are disappointed with respect to both budgets that were tabled and the lack of announcement in those," Stephanson said.
"When you look at our transit service here in the city of Ottawa, we have been disproportionately affected in terms of what's happened to our ridership, the return to our downtown core – whether it be private companies or the federal government, it's affected us.
"We know we have a gap but we are going to continue to pursue the money from other levels of government and seek that assistance."
The 2023 OC Transpo budget is projecting a $39 million deficit, with staff hoping the upper levels of government would provide funding to cover transit deficits.
"For the next while, we do have a mitigation plan in place, but we need to have those necessary conversations because it's not just going to affect the city for (2023), it's likely to affect us beyond that," Stephanson said.
"We need to look at that gap before the federal funding comes in for that permanent funding they've talked about in 2026."
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the city's "priorities remain working towards sustainable long-term funding solutions" for transit and other issues.
"Due to the financial pressures facing municipalities, it has never been more important to build on the collaborative relationship that exists with upper levels of government and to find new opportunities that will generate mutual benefits," Sutcliffe said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday.
In December, the city of Ottawa received $63.3 million under stage 4 of the Safe Restart Agreement to cover transit costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A report for next week's finance and corporate services committee meeting says the city will receive an additional $7.48 million to offset fare revenue lost during the pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.