The government is building Ontario's economy for today and tomorrow to drive growth by getting key infrastructure projects built faster and attracting more jobs and investment. To support growth across the province, the workforce of today and tomorrow will build Ontario's highways and roads, transit, hospitals, schools and long-term care homes to improve access to jobs, public services, family and friends.
This is Ontario's most ambitious capital plan with infrastructure spending of more than $184 billion over 10 years. Here is a listing of some of those projects:
- $27.9 billion to support the planning and construction of highway expansion and rehabilitation projects such as Highway 413, a new 400-series highway and transportation corridor across Halton, Peel and York regions, the Bradford Bypass, a new four-lane freeway connecting Highway 400 in the County of Simcoe and Highway 404 in York Region, and the new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph.
- $70.5 billion for transit over the next 10 years, including continuing to transform the GO Transit rail network into a modern, reliable and fully integrated rapid transit network; and the largest subway expansion in Canadian history that includes the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Yonge North Subway Extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
- $48 billion in hospital infrastructure over the next 10 years, including supports for more than 50 hospital projects that would add 3,000 new beds over the next 10 years.
- $15 billion in capital grants over 10 years to expand and renew schools and to help create 86,000 new child care spaces by December 2026.
- Supporting a full continuum of care for first responders experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress injury and other concurrent mental health disorders at Runnymede Healthcare Centre's First Responders Wellness and Rehabilitation Centre, by advancing the dual-site project towards construction in Toronto and Peel, with an additional investment of $9.6 million to accelerate the project's development towards it next round of approval.
Budget Ontario reports that this budget will also help position Ontario as a global leader on the EV supply chain. A voluntary clean energy credit registry will also be launched to provide businesses with a tool to meet their environmental and sustainability goals and help them demonstrate that their electricity has been sourced from clean resources, such as hydroelectric, solar, wind, bioenergy and nuclear power.
The 2023 Ontario budget will also help workers by providing:
- $224 million in 2023-2024 for a new capital stream of the Skills Development Fund to leverage private-sector expertise and expand training centres, including union training halls to provide more accessible, flexible training opportunities for workers.
- Enhancing the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program with an additional $25 million over three years to attract more skilled workers, including in-demand professionals in the skilled trades, to the province.
- Expanding access to dual credit opportunities in health care-related courses for an additional 1,400 secondary students with an additional investment of $3.3 million over the next three years.
- Helping close to 27,000 students earn credits towards both their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate or Certificate of Apprenticeship at the same time through dual credit opportunities.
- Expanding the Ontario Bridge Training Program with an additional $3 million in 2023-24 to help internationally trained immigrants find employment in their fields and get faster access to training and supports towards a license or certificate.
The priorities outlined in this budget are a recognition of the immense challenges Ontario faces now and in the years to come. The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario welcomes the Ontario Government's continued efforts to confront these issues with focused investments in critical infrastructure that will set the stage for a prosperous and sustainable future for all Ontarians.
