Massive $183 million federal investment committed to the City of Toronto for 2025-26 fiscal year.
Upgrades to stations across the city promise to improve accessibility to Toronto transit. Image courtesy of the Toronto Transit Commission.
As part of the Government of Canada’s ambitious plans to build the nation, from coast-to-coast-to-coast, it was recently announced that the City of Toronto will receive $183 million over the coming year with a focus on improvements and upgrades to be made to the city’s existing transit system.
Together with Toronto Mayor, Olivia Chow, and Michael Atlas, General Counsel of the Toronto Transit Commission, Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, made the federal investment announcement as part of the roll out of the Community stream within Canada’s Build Communities Strong Fund.
“Building a strong Canada starts with building strong communities,” said Robertson. “We are investing in new infrastructure projects that build better public transit, support housing and foster connected communities. Our investment in Toronto reinforces our commitment to building bold, building strong and building together.”
Upgrades and improvements
The Build Communities Strong Fund, which is being delivered through three separate streams – a Provincial and Territorial stream, a Direct Delivery stream and a Community stream – promises to inject in excess of $51 billion over the next 10 years into the development of critical foundational infrastructure in cities and towns across the country, with an aim to improve and upgrade public transit, water systems and local roads and bridges. In fact, the Fund has allocated more than $2.5 billion has been provided to 3,700 communities across Canada in 2025-26 alone to support local infrastructure priorities.
Transit accessibility
Since 2015, the federal government has invested more than $932 million to the City of Toronto. These newer funds will go toward helping to improve transit accessibility across the city. A number of projects, including the Toronto Transit Commission’s Easier Access Program, are set to equip subway stations with elevators, accessible doors, updated signage and wayfinding, resulting in significant upgrades. And they’re upgrades that Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow believes will go a long way toward supporting the continued development and growth of the city.
“We’re grateful for federal CCBF funding that helps us upgrade the TTC and make our public transit system more accessible and reliable,” she said. “I’ve made record investments into increasing TTC service levels and making much-needed repairs, without raising fares, and our strong partnership with the Federal government helps us go even further. Together, we’re committed to making public transit more affordable, safe and reliable, which in turn supports more housing and economic growth in our city.”
Safe and reliable transit
Jamaal Myers, Chair of the Board, Toronto Transit Commission, agrees with the mayor’s sentiment, recognizing just how essential a safe and reliable transit system is to the health of a city.
“Stable, predictable funding for public transit is critical to the viability of our system, and the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) is a prime example of an essential funding program. We know that functional public transit is essential for growth, freedom of movement and reducing congestion on our roads. This investment will help the TTC to improve transit for millions of commuters across the City of Toronto.”