Oshawa council was forced to sign NDA on Metrolinx's Bowmanville expansion plan: councillor

The two-year closure of a major street running through Oshawa, Ont., to complete a planned GO train expansion isn’t sitting well with residents and councillors in the south end of the city. 

Provincial transit agency Metrolinx has faced public pressure to release its construction schedule for the Bowmanville expansion project after it delivered a confidential presentation to Durham regional councillors last month. 

Last week, the agency confirmed it would be closing Simcoe Street as early as Jan. 12, between Avenue and Albany streets to replace the Simcoe Street bridge. The street is the only continuous roadway through Oshawa, from Lake Ontario north past Port Perry, Ont.  

“New supports need to be placed in different locations, which means the old bridge cannot stay in place during construction,” Metrolinx said in a copy of its plans provided to CBC News.

“To complete the work as quickly as possible, a full demolition of the bridge and closure of Simcoe Street is required.”

City councillors previously passed a motion calling on Metrolinx to avoid a full road closure of Simcoe Street. 

At last month’s regional council meeting, councillors learned they were not able to publicly talk about their issues with the project until Metrolinx made its plans available, according to councillor Brian Nicholson. 

“At no time should a public agency in any way go to an elected body and say we can grab you the information, but you can't tell anybody,” Nicholson told CBC News in an interview.

“That is simply a breach of the social contract we have in democracy.”

Nicholson said the region was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement in 2021 to avoid disclosing “third-party business details” on the project.

That requirement falls under general provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information Act.

But Nicholson said he and fellow councillors were only looking for the agency to give proper notice to residents and businesses affected by the closures.

“We're going to fund this. That's the real detriment,” Nicholson said.

South Oshawa resident Joell Vanderwagen hopes the agency re-evaluates its entire plan.