TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford rejected any new large-scale funding arrangement with the City of Toronto, telling reporters there will be no “New Deal 2.0.”“No, there’s no 2.0,” Ford said when asked whether Ontario would provide another broad funding package. He said the province is willing to sit down with Mayor Olivia Chow on narrower priorities, including putting more police into the subway system to improve safety.Ford pointed to a recent shooting in the Bridle Path neighbourhood as one reason public safety remains on the table. He did not commit to any new money beyond those targeted discussions.The premier said the province has already provided Toronto with $9 billion in support. That includes uploading responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway. “They have to be responsible for their own budget,” he said. “You can’t always rely on the province.”.Ford described the current fiscal environment as “really tough times” and said the government would continue to act as “prudent fiscal managers respecting the taxpayer.” He added that his office works with all 444 Ontario mayors and that Toronto would not receive special treatment on overall spending.Ford’s refusal of a second broad deal comes as Toronto continues to press the province and Ottawa for more operating and capital support. The original New Deal, struck in 2023, involved uploads of major highways and other transfers. Ford indicated that arrangement was sufficient and that further large-scale provincial spending is not available.
