Metrolinx spent $21K entering its own communications team into awards
Ontario's provincial transit agency is facing criticism and questions — including from the minister responsible for its work — after spending tens of thousands of dollars entering its own public relations content into awards programs.
Metrolinx, which runs the GO Transit network and leads the government's transit expansion projects, has a large communications team responsible for promoting its work in Toronto and southern Ontario.
Data shared by the agency with Global News shows its communications department has spent $21,483.93 in the last year entering into various awards.
'No prize money was generated,' a spokesperson said.
In a statement, Metrolinx said it had entered nine communications awards programs in various categories, 'including public service, education and discovery, history, and social responsibility.'
A spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria blasted the agency for its spending and said his office would immediately order them to stop after learning about the costs through questions from Global News.
Story continues below advertisement
'This is an unacceptable use of taxpayer dollars and Minister Sarkaria has sent a letter to direct Metrolinx to immediately stop all entries going forward,' the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'We are delivering the largest transit expansion in North America and Metrolinx needs to remain focused on building the critical infrastructure our growing province needs.'
Metrolinx confirmed the money spent came from its existing communications budget and defended the move as necessary for its professional development.
'It is standard for public and private sector organizations to apply to award programs as part of their communications practices,' a spokesperson for the transit agency said.
'Investment in awards consideration is similar to investments in training or technology — the entry process encourages teams to reflect, measure outcomes, and articulate the impact of their communications.'
Commercials and other marketing materials from Metrolinx may also have been entered into awards, the agency said, but those entries would have been done by the companies contracted to produce the commercials and therefore would not have cost the taxpayer.
The transit agency is responsible for working on projects like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and the Finch West LRT, neither of which has an official opening date. Metrolinx, whenever asked, has refused to disclose them.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the Metrolinx communication team should focus on pushing out information on existing, delayed projects rather than entering into awards.
Story continues below advertisement
'The communication on the Eglinton Crosstown has been horrendous, so I can't imagine them winning an award for communications that have essentially said we want to communicate that we have nothing to communicate,' he said.
Metrolinx also recently saw a deal that was supposed to run for almost a quarter of a century fall apart less than three years after the initial paperwork was signed.
It said it was working on an 'amicable settlement' to end that contract — but has declined to answer questions about the cost or why the deal fell apart.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
Slowing sales raise questions about B.C.'s electric vehicle mandate
The British Columbia government is facing renewed questions about whether its aggressive electric vehicle (EV) sales mandates can be achieved. Under current B.C. law, 26 per cent of new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. must be zero-emission by 2026, a figure climbing to 90 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035. B.C. has, to date, been a Canadian leader in EV adoption, with 24 per cent of new vehicle shoppers snapping one up in 2024. But that momentum has run into trouble. Both Ottawa and B.C. phased out their EV subsidies earlier this year, and the auto industry says sales dropped quickly afterward. 2:24 BIV: EV sales in Canada plummet over last year 'The first quarter, we were pushing 19 per cent in adoption rate. In April, it was down to 15 per cent … in May it's about flat with 15 per cent again, so the math is just not there to achieve the 26 per cent in 2026,' said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers' Association of B.C. Story continues below advertisement 'The 2030 number is virtually impossible.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Powering British Columbia's roads under a fully electric scenario is another concern. Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute, said his group modelled the electricity needs B.C. would face if it did meet its 100 per cent adoption target by 2035. 'It would require, at full implementation, two more site C dams worth of electricity. And this year, we have been importing electricity,' Penner said. 'In the last couple of years, on average, we've imported 20 to 25 percent. Of our domestic electricity needs from outside the province.' Penner said consumer behaviour has also been shifting towards plug-in hybrids, which are cheaper, but have typically not qualified for government rebates. 3:48 B.C. electric vehicle rebate pause The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Story continues below advertisement However, Global News obtained a technical review of B.C.'s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act and Regulation, which appears to show the government is open to adjusting the program. The document shows the province is considering 'several changes' to the legislation 'to respond to current economic conditions, support affordability for consumers, and lessen pressures on automakers.' Those changes include revising the 2030 zero-emission sales targets, amending compliance ratios for battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, changing the percentage of plug-in hybrids dealers can sell under the law, and changing range requirements to ensure more vehicles qualify for credits. The document further notes that challenges to EV adoption still include range anxiety and vehicle price. 'They're more expensive on average than a non-electric vehicle. Some studies suggest about $8,000 per vehicle,' Penner said. 'Internal government polling shows almost 60 per cent of British Columbians say that's the number one problem buying an electric cars is the cost and yet what have they done? They've removed the rebate.' B.C. has been working to upgrade infrastructure; BC Hydro has installed about 600 fast chargers around the province, with more to come. 'And while the province has paused EV subsidies for now, the policy document hints that it is looking at 'new initiative agreement pathways to support affordability for consumers.' Story continues below advertisement The province is also conducting a wider review of its entire CleanBC program. Qualey said new rebates would help the situation, but argued that even with them in place, the targets are too aggressive. 'Ideally, we would like a pause on all of it right now to continue the conversation so the manufacturers, who are the obligated parties in all of this, can sit with government … (and determine) what targets are achievable,' he said.
Global News
6 hours ago
- Global News
Edmonton homeowners mull restrictive covenants to stop multi-unit builds
Some Edmonton homeowners are trying to take city development into their own hands by limiting where multi-unit homes can be built. They're exploring a legally binding agreement called a restrictive covenant, which goes on a property title and limits how a property is used or developed, even after it is sold to a new owner. Crestwood residents Jasmine Winter and Neil Bourgeois say they're considering putting one on their home. 'This is a last resort for homeowners,' Bourgeois said. The pair moved into their home in the sought-after west end neighbourhood a year and a half ago. They chose the established, upscale area as a quiet place to raise their kids. 'Playgrounds, the community, being able to walk to the school was a really big deal for us,' Winter said. Story continues below advertisement But they say potential development next door could change the neighbourhood feel they bought into. The City of Edmonton website shows the two lots directly north of Winter's and Bourgeois' home have development permits under intake review. Both applications are for the construction of a four-dwelling row house, with two secondary suites and an unenclosed front porch. 'We're just not sure that this is fulfilling the needs of the city's growth and it's definitely not fulfilling the needs of the community,' Bourgeois said. One community group is even trying to put restrictive covenants throughout their historic west-central neighbourhood. The Glenora neighbourhood, which is a century old and one of Edmonton's most sought-after neighbourhoods, was established in the 1910s with a restrictive covenant in place in some sections called the Carruthers Caveat. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy It was named after the businessman who sold the land the city with the caveat that only single family homes and wide expansive lots be allowed, to maintain his vision of Glenora as a prestigious residential area. The covenant was registered on some properties in Glenora, primarily on the south side (see map below.) Now, in a letter posted on its Facebook page, the Glenora Community League is asking for the 'support of fellow property owners to voluntarily agree to place a restrictive covenant on title to their property that would prohibit the construction of these large multifamily (sic.) dwellings' on their land. Story continues below advertisement A Calgary community is taking similar steps. 1:59 Citywide rezoning hits campaign trail as Calgary community explores restrictive covenants Real estate lawyer Shane Parker says this is becoming more common. 'The city has a land-use bylaw and zoning where the city seeks to have input and control over the growth and development,' Parker said. 'A restrictive covenant is on the private side, which seeks to do the same thing.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "A restrictive covenant is on the private side, which seeks to do the same thing." Parker says it will be hard for existing communities like Glenora to get enough coverage to completely shut out multi-unit homes. 'You may have 1,000 titles without the restrictive covenant. To bind those titles, you would need 1,000 people to agree,' Parker said. 'That may be a challenge. There's going to be a variety of opinions.' Story continues below advertisement Andrew Knack is the councillor for the area. He believes the conversation around restrictive covenants represents a tension point for city development. 'Everyone says, don't expand the boundary of our city, but when it comes to what does the change look like on my block, there's going to be a variety of opinions,' Knack said. He hopes potential revisions to the zoning bylaw will alleviate concerns. 'We have to try and find that good middle ground that allows us to address those citywide objectives,' Knack said. A public hearing on a zoning bylaw is set for June 30. 1:50 Edmonton backtracks on eightplex housing in zoning bylaw — With files from Karen Bartko, Global News
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
Welcome to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street: Vancouver unveils Musqueam langauge signs
Musqueam leaders and representatives of the City of Vancouver gathered on the city's west side on Friday to unveil the official signage for a street that has been renamed in the First Nation's language. The road, formerly named Trutch Street, now bears the name šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (pronounced sh-MUS-quee-um-AW-sum), which translates to Musqueamview in English. Signposts bear the English name below the official Musqueam name. 'It's a great feeling to actually see the name being changed, regardless of the political issue, just to see our language out in the public eye where people are living,' Musqueam elder Larry Grant, who manages the band's language and culture department, said. 'It's a really, really heartlifting feeling. Our youth can see it, we can see it, that our language is finally out in the open rather than stifled.' The street was formerly named after Joseph Trutch, B.C.'s first lieutenant governor, whose policies had devastating effects on Indigenous communities. Story continues below advertisement Trutch, who arrived in the province in 1859 and became B.C.'s chief commissioner of land and works in the 1860s, was considered an extreme racist. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim called the new name an 'important milestone' in the city's ongoing journey towards truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 'The legacy of Joseph Trutch is one of harm. He was openly racist and actively worked to erase the rights of Indigenous peoples,' Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'He dismissed the very existence of Indigenous title, stripped communities of their land, reduced the size of reserves, and helped entrance policies that caused lasting harm with effects we feel to this day. That's not a legacy we should commemorate on a street sign.' 1:58 Vandals put 'Truth' in Trutch Street ahead of official name change Trutch Street runs between 18th and 1st Avenues on the city's west side in the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam people. Story continues below advertisement 'This day has been coming for over 10 years,' Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow told the crowd. Vancouver has gone through three mayors since the Musqueam first brought a request for the street's name to be changed. Council voted unanimously in 2021 to change the street's name, and the Musqueam gifted the new name to the city the following year. Sparrow acknowledged the new characters and the Musqueam hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language may be a challenge for some people at first, but said it will be a process of learning together. 'One lady, when we were in a public hearing, they were upset it was in our language, and they were going to have a hard time pronouncing it. And I invited those individuals down to our celebration we are having at our community today, to come down and learn,' Sparrow said. 'Our ancestors were forced to speak English. They were forced to do away without language. And if we are walking reconciliation, we walk together. And we all have a part to learn our language, and we will get there.'' 2:11 B.C. mayors look to change street named after politician Sir Joseph Trutch As a next step, the city will be installing an audio box and an interpretive sign near šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street at West Point Grey Road that provide more information about the new name, along with Joseph Trutch and why the name change happened. Story continues below advertisement Neighbour Patrick Purcell said the change will mean a bit of work around updating official documents for people who live on the street, but that the move was 'progress.' 'I think it's beautiful, and I think it's overdue … I am glad it shows the respect to Indigenous people they deserve,' he said. Sim said the city could look at renaming other streets in the future as a part of its efforts towards reconciliation.
