Despite the rain, rally-goers gathered in downtown Milton Friday afternoon to protest the proposed Hwy. 413 and call for decisive government action to halt the controversial project.
Carrying signs and chanting slogans, demonstrators urged the federal government to designate a full and independent federal impact assessment, which they say is crucial to protecting the environment and stopping the highway in its tracks.
“It is 100 per cent on the shoulders of the federal government whether (Hwy.) 413 goes ahead,” said Phil Pothen of Environmental Defence, addressing the crowd outside MP Adam van Koeverden’s constituency office. “It's not a matter of the federal government deciding to interfere in provincial jurisdiction. They just need to do their job.”
Pothen explained how the project threatens endangered species, such as the redside dace, and critical habitats — citing federal jurisdiction over inland fish species, Indigenous sites and navigable waters. He also cautioned about Ontario’s Bill 212, which he said would bypass provincial environmental protections and pave the way for the highway to cut through the Greenbelt.
The proposed 59-kilometre highway would connect Vaughan and Milton, cutting through York, Peel and Halton regions. Proponents see it as a solution to traffic congestion and a support for future growth, but critics argue it would destroy ecosystems, worsen urban sprawl and fail to address long-term traffic challenges.
Sandra Voisin, a member of Sustainable Milton, stressed the importance of protecting the Greenbelt and wetlands, particularly in light of increasing extreme weather events.
“Wetlands are extremely important in terms of flood mitigation. For example, we all know about how strong the storms are now, and it's just going to get worse. We've had flooding here in Milton. They had flooding in Burlington. Pretty soon, it's going to be really hard just getting insurance for your place,” Voisin told MiltonToday.
Voisin also criticized the highway as a catalyst for urban sprawl that diverts resources from viable solutions to the housing crisis.
“Everybody knows it's just ridiculous to build a highway 15 kilometres north, parallel to a pretty empty highway that's already there,” she said. “Opening the 407 will solve a lot of problems. Pay the truckers’ tolls, buy back the 407 highway — whatever needs to be done.”
She encouraged the community to pressure their local representatives to oppose the project.
The rally — which was organized by local environmental groups, including Halton Hills Climate Action and Sustainable Milton — concluded with a march to MPP Zee Hamid’s Main Street office.
