Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Toronto today to announce new federal support for affordable housing alongside Mayor Olivia Chow.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, the two will appear together at a mid-afternoon event to unveil "new measures to build affordable housing." The announcement is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at a location that has not been named, and it may include a brief exchange with reporters.
Later in the day, Carney is set to join Ontario Premier Doug Ford to "tour a public transit site" at 3:45 p.m. That visit is not open to media, but a pooled photo opportunity will be provided, iPolitics reported.
First meeting since Billy Bishop dispute
The transit tour will mark the first in-person meeting between Carney and Ford since the federal government formally declined to back the proposed expansion of Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport.
That decision has left Ford at odds with the Prime Minister, the Toronto mayor and thousands of waterfront residents who opposed the expansion, as Global News reported last week.
Federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon said days ago that Ottawa would not pursue plans that "infringe on treasured public spaces." The Ford government responded by accusing the federal government of caving to a "fringe group" of Toronto residents who opposed the province's plans, according to the broadcaster.
The Toronto Star subsequently reported that Ford and Carney had struck an informal deal to support each other's infrastructure projects. A day after that report, the province began publicly questioning the federal government's Alto high-speed rail line.
What it means for Toronto
For Toronto residents, today's housing announcement could signal new federal money or policy levers aimed at easing the city's affordability crunch, though the details will not be known until the afternoon event.
The transit stop with Ford, which comes amid friction over Billy Bishop and high-speed rail, will be watched closely for signs of whether the two governments are co-operating or clashing on the infrastructure files that shape daily life in the city.
Carney has spent the last several days out of public view before returning to the spotlight in Toronto today.
