Taxpayer Watchdog Demands Probe into $100M SmartTrack Station Fiasco
A Canadian taxpayer advocacy group is calling for an official investigation into the nearly $100 million spent by Metrolinx and the City of Toronto on two transit stations that might never be built. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has formally requested that Ontario's auditor general examine what it describes as a financial debacle involving the SmartTrack initiative.
Stations in Limbo After Costs Balloon
According to a confidential memo presented to Toronto's audit committee, over $50 million was allocated to two now-cancelled SmartTrack stations. These stations were planned for locations along GO Train corridors near King Street in Liberty Village and on Finch Avenue between Milliken Boulevard and Midland Avenue. The projects were put on hold in December 2024 due to escalating costs that made them financially unfeasible.
Noah Jarvis, the CTF's Ontario director, expressed strong criticism of the situation. "It's unacceptable for Metrolinx bureaucrats to blow hundreds of millions on projects that probably won't even be built," Jarvis stated. "Taxpayers deserve accountability when bureaucrats light our money on fire."
SmartTrack's Evolution from Ambitious Plan to Scaled-Back Project
The SmartTrack concept originated over a decade ago during former Toronto Mayor John Tory's election campaign. Initially envisioned as a separate 53-kilometer transit line with 22 stops stretching from eastern Mississauga to Union Station and extending into Scarborough, the plan underwent significant reductions in scope over time.
The project eventually transformed into an initiative to add stations and trains to existing GO Train lines, intended to function as a regional express service that would complement and alleviate pressure on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). By 2016, plans had been pared down to six new stations with an estimated cost of $1.25 billion, and these plans were further scaled back in 2021.
Current Station Developments and Budget Concerns
Information from the City of Toronto website indicates that only three SmartTrack stations remain in active development:
- The East Harbour Transit Hub in Riverside near Eastern Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway
- Bloor-Lansdowne station
- St. Clair-Old Weston station between existing Bloor and Mount Dennis GO Train stations
Construction contracts have been awarded for the first two stations, with the third expected to be announced later this year. The total budget for these three stations stands at $1.689 billion, with funding contributions divided among multiple government levels:
- City of Toronto: $878 million (approximately 52%)
- Province of Ontario: $226 million
- Federal Government: $585 million
Metrolinx's Troubled Track Record with Transit Projects
This controversy emerges against a backdrop of Metrolinx's history of budget overruns and delays on major transit projects. The crown agency responsible for regional public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area has faced criticism for several high-profile cases:
- The Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown LRT opened on February 8 after a six-year delay, coming in billions over its original budget
- The Finch West LRT experienced a two-year delay and exceeded its budget by $1.2 billion
Jarvis emphasized the broader implications of these financial management issues. "Toronto taxpayers can't afford to be lowballed by bureaucrats while the costs of transit projects soar," he asserted. "Ontario's auditor general needs to launch a full investigation into the SmartTrack debacle and figure out who is responsible for wasting nearly $100 million in taxpayer dollars."
The CTF's call for investigation highlights growing concerns about fiscal responsibility in public transit infrastructure development, particularly as Toronto continues to expand its transportation network to meet the needs of a growing metropolitan population.
