Our government, under Premier Ford’s leadership, is getting it done by building Highway 413. In the coming year, by 2025, we will move ahead with construction and get shovels in the ground as a part of our plan to build Ontario.

With Halton, Peel and York regions all set to grow at incredible speed, our government is saying yes to building the critical infrastructure our province needs by building the roads and highways that will keep these communities strong and thriving.

Highway 413 will bring relief to the most congested corridor in North America. Preliminary design, environmental assessment work and consultations are under way for the new route. During construction, Highway 413 is expected to generate up to $350 million in real GDP and support 3,500 good-paying union jobs, such as heavy-equipment operators, drilling and coring contractors, concrete and steel workers, utility contractors, environmental specialists, laboratory technologists, safety inspectors, and so many more in the industry. Once completed, not only will it improve our productivity and encourage economic growth by getting goods to market faster, but it will also have a measurable impact on the quality of life for Ontario drivers so they can spend more time with their families and less time stuck in gridlock.

Speaker, we are delivering on our promise to build Highway 413 with our plan to fix gridlock and make life easier and more convenient for millions of drivers in the GTA and across Ontario.

We’re getting it done. We’re building Highway 413.

It’s Building Safety Month. Ontario’s building officials play a critical role in tackling the province’s housing supply shortage, while keeping us safe in accordance with the building code.

Since 1976, the Ontario building code has set the minimum standard for new and existing buildings in the province of Ontario. The code impacts our daily lives, from establishing safety standards in our homes to ensuring public spaces are accessible for all, and to establishing innovative approaches as we work to meet our ambitious goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

We cannot unlock Ontario’s housing potential without keeping up with the latest innovations and standards.

That’s why I am proud of our government’s release of the 2024 Ontario building code, the largest building code update since 2012.

The new addition provides opportunities to accelerate the construction of new housing projects, such as the expansion and the use of encapsulated mass-timber construction, while ensuring the buildings in Ontario continue to be among the safest and the most accessible in North America.

I’m proud to be a part of a government that continues to work with municipalities and builders to deliver on our mandates to ensure that all Ontarians have access to safe and secure housing.