Ford Encourages Carney to Prioritize Essential ‘Nation-Building’ Projects, Featuring the Highway 401 Tunnel

May 6, 2025 TruthUSA

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is reaching out to Prime Minister Mark Carney for assistance on several key projects for the province, including plans for a tunnel beneath Highway 401.

On May 5, Ford sent a letter to Carney outlining a list of Ontario’s priorities that he hopes the federal government will address. This letter follows a request Carney made in a March meeting with the premiers, where he urged them to highlight “nation-building projects.”

Ford emphasized that securing access to essential minerals through the development of Ontario’s Ring of Fire region, investing in an electric vehicle supply chain, building a new deep-sea port at James Bay, and supporting nuclear energy generation via small modular reactors are critical initiatives that would also “transform Canada’s economy.”

“Your government has our complete backing to urgently invest in and commence new nation-building infrastructure projects, including pipelines, highways, railways, seaports, and airports that will facilitate the movement of Canadian goods to new markets,” Ford stated.

“Ontario is prepared to collaborate with federal, provincial, and municipal partners to create new energy corridors for pipelines, railways, transmission lines, and other essential infrastructure.”

Ford reiterated the importance of Carney fulfilling his commitment to eliminate all federal internal trade barriers by Canada Day.

401 Tunnel

Transportation was high on Ford’s agenda. He requested Carney’s support for his “GO 2.0” plan to enhance train services in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, introducing new lines and all-day service for Milton and Kitchener, as well as establishing a driver and transit tunnel expressway beneath Highway 401.

Ford noted that the tunnel would “considerably reduce congestion on the busiest highway in North America, enhancing our economic competitiveness by facilitating faster transportation of goods and services to market.”

The Prime Minister’s office has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Ford’s letter.

Leaders of the provincial opposition parties have criticized Ford’s tunnel proposal.

“At a time when workers in Windsor, in Oshawa, and across this province are facing job cuts, Doug Ford is focused on his unrealistic tunnel,” NDP Leader Marit Stiles stated to reporters at Queen’s Park on May 5.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie similarly criticized the proposal, arguing that the project could potentially “bankrupt” Ontario.

“It’s a 40-year project that won’t address current traffic gridlock,” she remarked. “By the time the tunnel is finished, who knows whether we will still be using cars or if alternative methods will prevail.”

While the province is currently seeking proposals for a tunnel feasibility study, the premier has consistently pledged to build the tunnel “regardless of circumstances.”

“This is something we are determined to accomplish. We possess the skills and have trained professionals ready to commence work,” Ford stated during a press conference last fall. “We are adept at tunneling. We’ve created kilometers of subway, and this will not be different. It will be one of the world’s longest tunnels.”

The request for proposals aims to assess the feasibility of constructing a tunnel or other alternatives, such as an elevated highway, expanding lanes, or creating truck-exclusive lanes.

The request specifies that the study should have a long-term focus, aiming for the year 2051.

Along with the feasibility study, the province seeks an evaluation of best practices from similar projects, including a proposed four-lane traffic tunnel in downtown Ottawa that never went ahead. This feasibility study carried a cost of $750,000 and found that building a 3.4-kilometer tunnel through downtown Ottawa would exceed $2 billion. The tunnel remains unconstructed.

Bail Reform

While not a core “nation-building” initiative, Ford also urged Carney in his letter to implement bail reforms aimed at keeping repeat offenders off the streets.

The proposed legislation seeks to streamline the process for obtaining restraining orders against individuals engaged in domestic violence. Additionally, it would support a comprehensive review of the bail system, facilitate the confiscation of electronic devices used for auto theft, and establish teams of prosecutors collaborating with law enforcement to build strong cases during bail hearings for serious crimes.

“There are still too many instances where communities suffer from violence perpetrated by individuals who are out on bail,” Ford stated in his letter to Carney. “The federal government must implement mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes, a mandatory three-strike rule for pretrial detention of repeat offenders, and stricter laws surrounding bail and sentencing for various violent offenses.”

Ford also called on the Prime Minister to expedite approvals for “life-saving medications” to help Canada enhance its competitiveness in attracting global pharmaceutical and life sciences investments.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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