Doug Ford visited Niagara on Friday, saying he would make major investments in the province if re-elected next month, including a widening of the Queen Elizabeth Way between Burlington and St. Catharines.
The announcement made in Niagara Falls Friday touted an additional $22 billion in the Ontario PC’s $200 billion “plan to build,” says a news release from the party.
This plan to build, it said, will help protect Ontario’s workers and economy by creating new jobs across the province.
“In the face of U.S. tariffs and the devastation they would cause to our economy, we’re going to invest even more in our plan to build so we can get shovels in the ground and keep people working,” said Ford.
“While the previous Liberal government left Ontario saddled with a massive infrastructure deficit, our PC team is helping create jobs for skilled tradespeople across the province as we build the roads, transit, homes, hospitals, schools and highways our growing province needs, including by widening the QEW here in Niagara,” he added.
When implemented, U.S. tariffs on Canada would put 450,000 jobs at risk, including in manufacturing, construction, service sectors and retail, the press release said.
With U.S President Donald Trump making numerous threats against Ontario and Canada’s economy and sovereignty, the province is entering a period of “unprecedented economic risk” and lengthy negotiations – against Trump and with the federal government and other provinces, said the news release.
Ford was joined by Mat Siscoe, mayor of St. Catharines, Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls and Frank Campion, mayor of Welland, who “offered their full support and endorsement” of Ford in the upcoming election.
“Doug Ford has consistently made St. Catharines and our workers a priority,” said Mayor Siscoe in the news release from Ford’s team.
“His commitment to ensure our local economy and our valued local workforce benefit from provincial investments in critical infrastructure is vital to our future.”
Diodati said Ford is “responsive, accessible, has listened to our needs in Niagara and he follows through with action.”
“Through significant funding to keep our communities safe, create jobs and keep costs down for families, and build much-needed infrastructure, this PC government has shown its commitment to our needs,” said Welland Mayor Frank Campion, a previous PC candidate in Niagara before being elected mayor in the rose city.
Ford said his government would invest up to $15 billion more over three years to speed up key capital projects, such as the QEW widening announced Friday.
He said he would provide another $5 billion for the Building Ontario Fund, for a total of $8 billion, to invest in housing, long-term care, energy, transportation and municipal infrastructure projects.
The news release says the PCs plan on investing another $2 billion in the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to “create new opportunities for workers in the construction sector, support municipalities and help build more homes.”
Adding $300 million to the Community Sport and Recreation Fund to help build more rinks, arenas, sports centres and other community infrastructure, was also announced Friday.
Ford was also endorsed during his visit to Niagara by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario, which represents 11 local unions in Ontario and 18,000 members.
“Throughout my personal leadership career spanning more than three decades, no provincial government or political party has done more for the electrical trade than our current government under the leadership of Doug Ford,” said James Barry, president of the IBEW CCO.