Chiarelli determinedto get projects started

The city believes the 417 needs to be widened before construction begins on the light-rail project because one lane will be dedicated to buses while the transitway is being rebuilt to handle LRT.

“People are frustrated in Toronto, and they’re frustrated in Ottawa,” Chiarelli said. “There’s been commitments given (but) the projects are not moving. I’m determined to see the projects for which there are funding commitments, and for which there are strong needs, actually go forward. I want shovels in the ground.”

Chiarelli has long been an advocate of light-rail transit. Five years ago, in July 2006, when he was the mayor of Ottawa, city council approved an $880-million north-south light-rail system. If the project had gone ahead Ottawans would now be riding a 29-kilometre line from Barrhaven to the University of Ottawa.

But a municipal election loomed in the fall of 2006, and the LRT project became an issue. Federal funding required approval from Treasury Board. John Baird, the MP for Ottawa West-Nepean who had been appointed Treasury Board president in the newly elected Tory minority government, decided to withhold federal approval until a new council could vote on the issue. Some regarded the decision as an attempt to undermine Chiarelli politically.

Whatever the truth to that claim, Chiarelli did, in fact, lose the mayor’s job in the November election. Two weeks later, the new mayor, Larry O’Brien, led his council to kill the north-south plan. The provincial Liberals weren’t happy and there was talk the province might withdraw its then $200-million contribution. That didn’t happen, and now with Mayor Jim Watson, a former cabinet minister in McGuinty’s government, on board for the new $2.1-billion east-west LRT project, the province has upped its commitment to $600 million, matching the federal government.

Chiarelli refused to be drawn on the actions of either O’Brien or Baird, who is now Canada’s foreign affairs minister, saying he didn’t want to “editorialize politically and get into a political debate.” Still, he suggested that derailing his LRT project five years ago set the city back at least four to six years in terms of having an operational light-rail transit system, and that he wanted to make up for lost time.

“Let’s just say that we have a city council and mayor and city managers who’ve got their foot to the pedal to make this thing happen as quickly as possible, and we’re going to be there a partner to make that happen. I want to make sure we get the LRT project in the ground and functioning in accordance with the priorities of the City of Ottawa.

“I would consider a successful mandate for me (to be) if I can make those darn projects actually happen.