| MPP
Arnott Questions Minister on Need to Fix Highway 6 from
Fergus to Mount Forest
Waterloo-Wellington
MPP Ted Arnott put a question to the Minister of Transportation
in the Ontario Legislature on October 7, 2002 about
the need to repair Highway 6. The following is the record
from Hansard of their exchange in the House:
Mr
Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): My question is for
the Minister of Transportation and it concerns Highway
6. Highway 6 is an essential corridor in my riding of
Waterloo-Wellington. For much of the county of Wellington,
it's a key route to the 401, our access to the North
American market. It's crucial to our local economy.
In
the summer, Wellington county council passed a resolution
about Highway 6. They have addressed it to the Minister
of Transportation. They say that Highway 6 from Fergus
to Mount Forest --
Interjections.
The
Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): Come to order, please. The
member for Waterloo-Wellington has the floor. Sorry
for the interruption.
Mr
Arnott: I couldn't hear myself think for the opposition.
They
say that Highway 6 from Fergus to Mount Forest needs
review so that repairs to that section can be done as
soon as possible. As the MPP for Wellington in the early
1990s, I raised the need for repairs to Highway 6 repeatedly
in this Legislature from my place on the opposition
benches. I called for the construction of passing lanes,
an idea that was brought forward by my predecessor,
Jack Johnson, before he retired in 1990.
Will
the minister inform the House whether, in fact, a review
of the need to fix Highway 6 is underway?
Hon
Norman W. Sterling (Minister of Transportation): As
this member points out -- and he points out very often
to me the needs in his particular area of Waterloo-Wellington
-- Highway 6 is very important to that part of our province.
We're not only studying this, we are now in the design
stages for the repair and repavement of Highway 6 from
Fergus to Kenilworth.
We're
not only dealing with this particular piece of highway,
we're dealing with some others. When we have completed
all the work that is presently under design for Highway
6, we will have spent some $9 million on Highway 6.
The good people of Wellington county can thank the member
from their area for putting this issue on the table.
Mr
Arnott: I want to thank the minister for his response,
his compliments and for any action taken to see that
Highway 6 from Fergus to Mount Forest is a priority.
After
I repeatedly raised the need for construction on Highway
6 in the 1990s, the NDP government initiated a study
and it concluded that the work needed to be done. Passing
lanes were built from the city of Guelph to Fergus and
Highway 6 was four-laned from the northern city limits
of Guelph to county road 7.
I
want to inform the minister and the House of my firm
belief that we need passing lanes from Fergus to Mount
Forest. County council has resolved that any studies
required must begin immediately in order to get this
needed work going as soon as possible. The work has
been done as far as Fergus, and I say the time is now
to finish the job right through to Mount Forest.
Will
the minister agree to move forward with reconstruction
on Highway 6 so that the work can be done as soon as
possible?
Hon
Mr Sterling: This government has spent unprecedented
amounts of money on our highway improvements across
this province: $6.5 billion on highways since 1995.
This not only includes four-lane highways, this includes
two-lane highways like Highway 6.
We
were glad to respond to the member's request prior to
1999 in putting some passing lanes on Highway 6. We
realize that this is a very busy highway. There are
safety concerns, and we're continuing to look for improvements
in that area. I hope to discuss this and other matters
that are important to this member for the improvement
of Highway 6 when we meet later this week to go over
all of the priorities in your riding.
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