This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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In a historic deal finally sealed by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, the Vancouver area is set to spend over $740-million in transit improvements over the next three. The agreement is set to be announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier Christy Clark on Thursday. Although the agreement allows for the first phase of spending to be received as early as the fall, it also requires some grim pragmatism from area mayors.
The province and the mayors were in a deadlock for weeks because the mayors argued they should only have to pay 10 per cent of the cost of the deal. The federal government had already announced to bear half of the cost and the municipalities wanted the province to take on a 40-per-cent share. However, the province failed to show any flexibility so the mayors feared the entire deal falling apart. Therefore, the cities agreed to contribute 17 per cent with plans to continue negotiating with the province for the second phase.
Mayors concluded that the extra costs were not worth risking the substantial dollars already on the table from the federal Liberal government. District of North Vancouver Mayor, Richard Walton, mentioned that “we can hold the line and see those federal funds disappear,” adding that “we’ve put forward what is needed. This gets a lot of things going.” The mayors’ council has been invited to the announcement Thursday.
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