The following is a summary of the federal government’s historic investments to the City of Toronto since 2015. This is not a complete list and will be updated as we are able to confirm more investments. 

​​Table of Contents

• Overview: Investment in Toronto
• Where does federal money go to in Toronto?
• Transit
• Housing
• Supporting Asylum Seekers
• A Greener Toronto
• Healthcare
• Innovation
• Immigration
• Arts and Culture
• The Funding Model for Cities
  • More Long-Term Funding
  • More Flexible Funding
  • More Responsive Funding
  • More Sustainable Funding

Investment in Toronto 

Canada’s success relies on the success of our biggest cities— our economic engines. This is not a platitude. The federal government is now back at the table, in ways that previous governments have not been, to support the needs of our cities with historic funding in transit, infrastructure, climate preparedness, housing and more.  

I am a born and bred downtown Torontonian. I love this city. I grew up a block away from Honest Ed’s, attended elementary school near Symington and Dupont, went to high school near Bay and Wellesley.  

I’ve lived in the city for most of my life. I care about it, and I’m proud to call Toronto my home. So when I was elected in late 2015, with 24 other MPs, supporting the City of Toronto was a key priority.   

In just over 8 years, our federal government has provided Toronto with $5.59 billion in direct federal funding not including the significant investments in public transit and housing – a total that is more than any other government in Canadian history. 

To contrast this to the last fiscal year of the Harper government, Toronto received just $203 million in federal funding, whereas in 2023-24our government delivered $1.86 billion in support. We are on track to invest $2.3 billion in the upcoming fiscal year. 

Cities are under the jurisdiction of the province, which can limit or expand a city’s resources and ability to govern at will. The federal government makes ongoing funding transfers to the province but has no oversight on how the money is spent. When it come to funding cities, I think it’s time to review the provincial and municipal relationship to find ways to give cities better long-term control over their own finances and governance.  

Where does federal money go to in Toronto? 

The vast majority of our federal government investment in the city continues to go to housing and transit, including investing in major bike infrastructure. But the federal government has also invested in healthcare, immigration, innovation, social programs and much more in the city. Some of the investments include the following: 

Transit 

The federal government continues to be a reliable partner in many of Toronto’s biggest transit and infrastructure projects. Since 2016, the federal government has invested 12.6 billion across 89 different public transit projects. From electrifying TTC buses, to building new subway lines, to improving public transit infrastructure. Here are some of the transit projects that our government has invested in for Toronto: 

• Invested over $12 billion for the largest transit investment in history for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This includes $10.4 billion for the Scarborough Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West, Ontario Line, Yonge North Subway Extension, and $180 million towards the purchase of 60 new, made in Canada  streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission. 

• Investing $333 million in the Finch West LRT, 11 km of light rail transit line that will run from the new Finch West Subway Station on the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension at Keele Street to Humber College. 

• Through the infrastructure-focused Canada Community-Building Fund, we’ve also provided the City of Toronto with $166.6 million for 2021-22 and $174.1 million for 2022-23. This funding can help Toronto support its infrastructure needs, from maintaining roads and highways to supporting recreation and tourism. 

We are committed to ensure Torontonians have access to a strong, reliable transit system. 

Housing: 

Everyone deserves an affordable place to call home, and we’re working hard to make it a reality. With the $82+ billion National Housing Strategy, we’re building affordable homes and addressing homelessness in municipalities across Canada, including Toronto. 

• Committed $1.3 billion to the City of Toronto to support the renovation of more than 58,000 affordable housing units – the largest federal housing investment with a municipal partner in Canadian history. 

• Through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, the federal government has invested $2.3 billion to create 6041 apartment units, and through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we’ve provided $403 million to Toronto—creating 1005 new homes. 

• Housing co-operatives have offered quality, affordable housing to Canadians. In 2022, we made the largest investment in co-ops in 30 years and last year added another $309 million in funding for more co-ops, along with removing the GST from new co-op rental housing. 

• $471 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund. By cutting red tape and unlocking homes in high density areas, this agreement will fast-track nearly 12,000 new housing units over the next three years—and 53,000 homes over the next decade. 

Supporting Asylum Seekers: 

Support for asylum seekers has typically been managed by all three levels of government. However, over the last few years there has been a threefold increase in the number of asylum seekers and because of this surge the federal government has taken the lead in support. 

• In the last year, we provided $4.2 billion to support refugees and asylum seekers across the country. While some of this funding has been provided directly to the City of Toronto, we’re also taking pressure off of Toronto’s shelter system by helping other cities support refugees and asylum seekers. 

• We provided Toronto with $215.4 million in funding since 2017 through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), to help temporarily house asylum claimants. And more support is coming. By extending IHAP into 2024, we’re providing Toronto with $259 million ($162M+$97M) to make those seeking refuge in Canada get the support they deserve.\ 

A Greener Toronto: 

• Our federal government and the City of Toronto are jointly funding the purchase of 340 zero emission transit buses for the city. In addition to purchasing the buses, the funding will also help buy 248 chargers and support upgrades to related infrastructure in bus garages. 
• The City of Toronto is contributing $351 million to the project through the Zero Emission Transit Fund, which will provide $2.75 billion over five years to help public transit and school bus operators electrify their fleets. 
• The government has made a joint investment of $1.1 million to plant 31,500 native trees in the Greater Toronto Area, involving youth and community volunteers by educating and motivating 6,000 volunteers in forest restoration while improving the local habitat. Local urban temperatures will be lowered and heat stress impacts will decrease in the GTA. 
• In February of 2023 announced federal investments totalling nearly $15 million for the installation of more than 2,100 EC chargers installed across the GTA. 

• I was pleased to join with the Honorable Minister of Energy and Natural Resources John Wilkinson to announce a federal investment of nearly $5 million to install over 500 new EV chargers, including 40 fast chargers across the City of Toronto. “As Canada leads the way in the EV supply chain, we’re creating economic opportunities and sustainable jobs across the country.” Julie Dzerowicz. 
• Protected environmental services by investing up to $20 million in the Toronto Ravine Strategy through the Natural Infrastructure Fund 

Healthcare: 

• $23 million in funding to establish the Canadian Pediatric Cancer Consortium (CPCC). This represents the largest investment in childhood cancer research in Canada to date. The Consortium will be led by Dr. David Malkin and Dr. Jim Whitlock at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and Pediatric Cancer Advocate Adrienne Co-Dyre in London, Ontario. 

• Committed $415 million to support Toronto’s Sanofi Pasteur Limited in building an end-to-end influenza vaccine manufacturing facility. 

Innovation: 

• An investment of $1.2 million in Toronto-based Validere Technologies through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). This will help the company commercialize a data-driven platform that provides supply chain efficiencies for the oil and gas industry to reduce overall emissions 

• Launched the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to secure the talent, support and resources required to maintain Canada’s leadership position in AI. Our investments of $125 million will create an interconnected network of scientific excellence in Canada’s three major AI centres—Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto. 

Immigration: 

• Canada doubles immigration program for out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area. This program acknowledges the critical role that construction workers play in building and growing our cities, and offers them and their families a path to permanent residency so that they can stay long-term. 

Arts and Culture: 

• Invested nearly $2 billion in cultural infrastructure as part of the Investing in Canada Plan, helping communities repair, upgrade, and improve facilities like theatres, museums and creative hubs including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Davenport.  

The Funding Model for Cities: 

In 2021, nearly three in four Canadians lived in one of Canada’s large urban centres. 

I understand how difficult it is for cities to plan and manage their long-term budgets when they are having endless discussions with federal and provincial governments on a project-by-project basis.  

Cities need more long-term, sustainable funding so that they can properly plan their budgets and their growth. I have seen a change in our federal government’s approach trying to distribute funds to cities over longer time frames so that cities can plan ahead.  

More Long-Term Funding:  

The Canada Community Building Fund is a permanent source and we’ve committed to a $3 billion permanent transit fund starting in 2026 because we recognize the importance of steady and reliable public transit funding so cities can do longer-term planning. Our funding for housing is multi-year and my understanding is that discussions are underway for multi-year funding for asylum seekers as well. 

More Flexible Funding:  

We’ve also worked to make funding more flexible so that it could be utilized more effectively based on a city’s own priorities. A simple example is when a few years ago we allowed capital transit funding to also be used for bike infrastructure which led to an expansion of that infrastructure across the city.   

More Responsive Funding: 

As mentioned, sheltering for asylum seekers has historically been a cost-shared service between the city, province, and federal government but with the surge of asylum seekers and almost all coming into Canada today through our airports, it is no surprise that most are landing in Montreal and Toronto. It is clearly unfair to leave these cities to deal with the effects of those surges and the federal government, rightly, has stepped up to provide more support. 

The federal government understands that most Canadians live in cities and that the needs are great if we want those city regions to continue to grow as productive economic engines and as attractors of global talent and capital. So, we have worked with provinces and cities in ways that previous governments have not. 

A more sustainable funding model is needed for our cities 

But when it comes to supports and funding for Canadian cities, the current models are not fully meeting the needs of cities and all the things that citizens expect them to do. Cities feel trapped by the inflexibility of being “creatures of the province”, their inability to run operational deficits and the demands for better services and infrastructure. It is about time that we have a serious discussion about what we expect cities to deliver and how to modernize the way they are funded. In one of my conversations with the Mayor, I said that I was ready to be a champion for the city at the federal level to find ways to start those discussions. 

For further information see our Historic Investment in Toronto and Delivering for Davenport documents.