On September 9, 2022, the Halton Municipalities and Conservation Halton (the “Halton Municipalities”) filed an appeal of the August 10, 2022 decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in a case between the Halton Municipalities and CN related to CN’s proposed truck-rail hub in Milton.
The Court rejected CN’s claim that as a federally regulated rail project, it was exempt from all provincial and local laws designed to protect people and the environment from adverse and harmful impacts that would be caused by the facility. The Court decision, however, left it to the Halton Municipalities and Conservation Halton to take the necessary steps to enforce the more than 65 local and provincial laws that apply to this proposed hub instead of supporting a more comprehensive and effective approach through Ontario’s planning system.
The Halton Municipalities and Conservation Halton strongly disagree with this decision and are bringing this appeal forward to seek to correct several key errors, including fundamental mistakes about Ontario’s land use planning system that should concern all municipalities and the Province.
In addition to this appeal, the Halton Municipalities are continuing litigation in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal to challenge decisions by the Canadian Transportation Agency, the Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, and Cabinet to approve federal aspects of the CN Project.
These Federal Court cases challenge federal approval of CN proceeding with the truck-rail hub in Milton based on expert findings that the hub will cause significant harm to air quality and human health that cannot be mitigated for the 34,000 residents who will ultimately live within one kilometer of the proposed hub.
We will continue to work with the community and be their voice on this issue. Since the CN proposal was announced, our communities have unequivocally opposed it on the grounds of protecting human health.
To view the Ontario Court’s decision and learn more about the Halton Municipalities’ position on the project, please visit halton.ca/CN.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 624,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.