MP angry that 407 extension will be toll road

DON PEAT  /  Staff Writer, The Peterborough Examiner

Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara's statement that the Highway 407 extension would be a toll highway has disappointed Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro.

Del Mastro issued a press release in response to an interview with Sorbara printed in yesterday's Examiner.

In a phone interview with The Examiner yesterday, Sorbara repeated his belief the 407 will ultimately be paid for by tolls.

Del Mastro said Sorbara's statement is disappointing.

"The overwhelming number of constituents I speak to would prefer that the road be funded through existing or budgeted government capacity," Del Mastro said in a press release.

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal, a fellow Liberal, disagreed with Sorbara's view.

"Any extension of the 407 should be a public road," Leal said. "I think you (build) it through the capital allocation of roads."

Leal said the extension, which would begin at the eastern end of the current Highway 407 in Pickering and connect to Highway 35/115 near Kirby south of the Highway 35 splitoff, should be toll-free.

Leal said the selling off of the 407 in 1999 was an "absolute travesty" in terms of public policy.

"I have an independent view of Mr. Sorbara on this ... that any extension should be a public road," Leal said. "If re-elected I will be pursuing that with great vigor as I pursued the extension to get a final end date when construction would be finished in 2013."

Peterborough riding Progressive Conservative candidate Bruce Fitzpatrick said he was shocked Sorbara committed to the 407 being a toll highway.

"The more important point is Mr. Leal put to the Peterborough people (in 2003) that he would make the extension of 407 as a public road, he said he would pursue that and it's not been done," Fitzpatrick said. "It's not going to be free.

"That's again how the people can judge the value of a Liberal promise made in the context of an election campaign is worth."

However the road operates, it must be economically feasible, he said.

"It may well be that, (the extension) is similar to the existing arrangement because the capital expenditure I'm assuming on the 407 will be substantial," he said.

Earlier this year, the federal Conservative government and provincial Liberal government promised to open the 407 extension by 2013.

Officials haven't revealed how much the extension would cost.

The environmental assessment for the extension is expected to be completed next year. The Ministry of the Environment must approve it before construction can start.