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TORONTO – Upcoming legislation that would require cities to get provincial approval for some bike lanes is a “significant overreach” of power, Ontario municipalities say, while Premier Doug Ford vowed Thursday to go even further and remove existing lanes.

None of the 444 members of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario were consulted or shown evidence the province is using to justify its proposed veto power over new bike lanes that would remove a lane for cars, the association wrote in a statement.

“Bicycle lanes are an essential element of urban transportation planning and road safety,” the association said.

“Requiring provincial approval would be a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction.”

Ford’s government is set to table the bike lane legislation next week as part of a suite of measures designed to tackle gridlock. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said earlier this week the legislation is meant for future bike lanes.

On Thursday, Ford contradicted his minister.

“It isn’t enough to keep an eye on future bike lanes,” Ford said in a speech at the Empire Club of Canada.

“We need to, and will, remove and replace existing bike lanes on primary roads that are bringing traffic in our cities to an absolute standstill.”

Ford has previously complained about bike lanes on Bloor Street West creating gridlock on a road that is about a 10-minute drive from his home in Toronto’s west end.

“It’s an absolute disaster,” Ford said last month.

The association said municipalities develop transportation plans based on local knowledge and community input. They are also balancing car traffic flow with active transportation and take into consideration health and environmental concerns.

“It is unclear how the Ministry of Transportation will be in a better position than municipalities to make decisions about local transportation matters,” the association said.

“Rather than micromanaging bike lanes, the Ministry of Transportation could focus on accelerating its own approval processes to help support new housing.”

Sarkaria said Thursday that cyclist safety is a priority for the government. He said they are “more than happy” to work with cities on the issue.

“As we work with the city to approve those future bike lanes, we’ll take into consideration … elements of safety and how that can be done in a way that supports the future introduction of lanes where they do require a removal of traffic,” Sarkaria said.

He also said communities can still implement bike lanes that do not remove a lane of traffic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s government is hiring 47 more people to prevent and address violence in the province’s schools.

The new staff include student supervisors, security guards, child and youth care practitioners, educational and teaching assistants and teachers specializing in behaviour and classroom management.

The province is investing $976,000 for the new hires, who will be in addition to the behavioural and support staff already working in the public school system.

Each region will access which specialized staff on offer can best respond to their challenges.

As well, the province says it’s updating its school code of conduct policy and its school emergency management procedures and training.

It says more than 4,600 regional and school staff as well as more than 800 school advisory council members have offered advice on how to improve the code of conduct.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

FREDERICTON – The high cost of housing was at the centre of the New Brunswick election campaign on Thursday.

Both the Liberals and the Greens announced plans to make housing more affordable if they are elected to govern on Monday.

In Fredericton, Green Party Leader David Coon said his party would reform the property tax system to ensure residents are not hit by large property tax or rent increases. Coon said property assessments in New Brunswick continue to soar because they are tied to industrial rates, a system the Greens would change if elected.

“No one should ever be taxed out of their home,” Coon said in a statement. “We need to overhaul this system …. Homeowners shouldn’t have to bear the burden of subsidizing corporate taxes.”

Coon promised to change the property assessment system for apartment buildings to reward landlords who are charging low rents. To do that, he said, the Greens would base assessments on rental income rather than property value.

As well, the Green leader repeated his promise to impose a rent cap tied to each rental unit, not just the tenant, to prevent new property owners from evicting people in order to cash in on steep rent increases.

In Saint John, Liberal Leader Susan Holt said her party would establish a fund to help the non-profit and community sectors build more affordable housing.

“This fund will allow them to do even more to help New Brunswick close the gap in the housing supply, especially for affordable housing options,” Hold said in a statement, which did not include how much money would be put into the fund.

Earlier in the campaign, the Liberals announced proposed initiatives focused on homeowners, tenants, and private developers. Among other things, the Liberals are promising to build 30,000 homes, impose a three-per-cent rent cap, reform the property tax system, eliminate the provincial sales tax on new, multi-unit developments and increase investments in New Brunswick-built modular housing.

Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs planned to make a campaign stop in a mall in Woodstock, N.B., and speak to the media, but he did not have any other public events on his schedule.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.