Is Ottawa getting its fair share of funding from the province? Opposition MPPs say no

When Doug Ford stood at the podium during the Mayor’s Breakfast in March 2024 and announced a “New Deal for Ottawa,” there was cautious optimism that a large bucket of financial support could be coming from Queen’s Park.

The deal included up to $197 million over three years in provincial operating support, including money for shelters and homelessness supports, policing in the ByWard Market, and general maintenance of Highway 174 — which the province indicated it planned to take control of.

There was also up to $346 million promised over 10 years in provincial capital support for transit priorities, including a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road, advancing the Kanata North Transitway, and repairing and upgrading rural roads and related infrastructure outside Ottawa’s city centre.

Since then, the Ontario government has also announced — and then reannounced in April — a commitment to upload Ottawa’s light rail transit system to Metrolinx, a deal city officials say could save Ottawa roughly $85 million annually.

But more than two years after some of those commitments were first announced, several major files remain unresolved. Opposition MPPs argue Ottawa continues to receive less provincial attention and funding than other large cities, particularly Toronto, while long-promised projects remain stuck in planning, negotiations or review.

On May 26, the Ontario Liberal caucus — which has roughly half of its MPPs representing Ottawa-area ridings — held an “Ottawa Day” at Queen’s Park, saying it wanted to draw attention to issues facing the capital and what the Liberal caucus describes as broken promises from the Ford government.

Among the concerns raised were delays to the new Civic hospital, uncertainty surrounding Ottawa’s transit future, stalled plans to upload Highway 174, and what opposition MPPs say is inadequate support for housing, health care and addiction services.

Ottawa Lookout reached out to Carleton MPP George Darouze, the only Progressive Conservative MPP representing an Ottawa-area riding, for comment. He declined an interview request.

For Orléans Liberal MPP Stephen Blais, one of the clearest examples of Ottawa’s stalled provincial priorities is the new Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital.