Don’t Pave Ontario’s Future: Stop Highway 413

Highway 413 is the most expensive and destructive infrastructure project in Ontario’s history — a $16 to $18 billion mega-highway that saves the average driver 30 to 60 seconds while permanently destroying the farmland, wetlands, and Greenbelt that our communities depend on.

Ontario is already losing hundreds of acres of farmland every single day. Highway 413 would make that worse: not to solve gridlock, but to unlock land for rich investors. There is a smarter, cheaper way to move people and goods across the Greater Golden Horseshoe — one that doesn’t cost us our food supply, our clean water, or our climate resilience.

Protect the Greenbelt and Farmland: The Highway 413 corridor cuts through 2,000 acres of prime agricultural land and 400 acres of the protected Greenbelt The proposed route crosses 85 waterways, destroys 75 wetlands, and threatens the habitat of nearly 30 species at risk. Once it’s paved over, it’s gone forever.
Respect Taxpayers: Up to $18 billion in public money for a project whose own studies show will save commuters less than a minute. Ontarians deserve better, such as more robust public transit options.
Invest in Real Solutions: Moving heavy truck traffic to the underused Highway 407 through subsidized tolls reduces congestion on the 401 now, at a fraction of the cost and without a single acre of lost farmland.

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Send a message to Premier Ford and Minister Sarkaria

Ontario’s farmland, wetlands, and Greenbelt are not abstract assets on a balance sheet. They are the source of our food, the protection of our watersheds, and the foundation of our communities’ long-term resilience. Once they are paved over, they cannot be restored. Highway 413 fails every reasonable test of sound public policy: it is fiscally reckless, ecologically destructive, and primarily benefits the wealthy developers whose land holdings sit along its corridor. For billions of dollars, it delivers commuters less than a minute. We call on your government to: - Cancel Highway 413: End this project permanently and redirect those resources toward transit and infrastructure investments that deliver real, lasting relief for Ontario commuters. - Utilize Highway 407 for Freight: Subsidize truck tolls on the underused Highway 407 to move heavy vehicles off the 401, reducing gridlock immediately without new construction. - Invest in Better Transit: Opening up Highway 407 without better public transit will eventually result in even more gridlock. - Make Farmland Protection Permanent: Pass the Protect Our Food Act to require an independent agricultural review before any farmland can be rezoned or paved, and close the loopholes Doug Ford used to hand Greenbelt land to donors. - Restore Rigorous Environmental Oversight: Require full, independent environmental assessments and meaningful Indigenous consultation for all major provincial infrastructure proposals. The communities we build today will shape the province our children inherit. Ontario’s government must choose people and place over profit.

You can submit this letter as-is or change it to reflect your own priorities. Your comment will be forwarded with the subject line “Don’t Pave Ontario’s Future. Stop Highway 413.”, including your name, email and postal code to Premier Ford and Minister Sarkaria. You will also be added to the GPO mailing list but you can unsubscribe at any time.