Definitely one of the most controversial roads in Ontario history....The Red Hill Creek Expressway...is now open. The thought of this short stretch of highway was actually born in 1957 and a half a century later...it is now completed. The impact of the lack of this road over the last 50 years for the City of Hamilton, in my opinion, has been so negative, that Hamilton, a vibrant City on one of Canada's most important trade corridors, has suffered through lack lustre commercial and industrial growth, while trying to accommodate an expanding residential population forced to commute to neighboring cities for employment.

The rug was actually pulled out from underneath Hamilton 17 years ago, when the newly elected NDP Government, headed by Bob Rae, decided to pull the funding for the Red Hill Creek Expressway. Yes, there were environmental concerns, as there had always been environmental concerns over the project. And if the truth be known, there's always environmental concerns over every single stretch of highway ever constructed! There is really no good place to put a road. There's never a really good piece of nature to disrupt, however, it's a fact of life that cities grow and when cities grow, that growth is best served by local jobs and good transportation corridors allowing the safe movement of people and goods. Can we imagine Toronto without the 401 or the 410? No. Can we imagine Toronto without the Don Valley Parkway or the Gardiner? No.

So, here we are today. Hamilton. The Red Hill Creek Expressway, seamlessly connected to the Linc and allowing all of us to travel from the Southern Highway 53, or Rymal Road down to the QEW in approximately 6 minutes! WOW WOW WOW!!!! Thousands of acres of vacant land, a huge chunk of Hamilton's available commercial development land now has purpose. The stagnated Glanbrook Industrial Park....the land surrounding the Hamilton International Airport in Glanbrook, the huge stretch of land zoned commercial down Nebo Road...is now coming off of life support. Hamilton, the City that has taken so many punches, is standing back up in the ring and is coming out swinging!!!

Hamilton, a City that is use to set backs and cut backs from Provincial and Federal governments is now ready to stand up and be noticed! Hamilton, the city which has struggled in Toronto's shadow. Do we have a better location than Toronto for Industry? Yes we do!!! Land is a fraction of the price. It's cheaper and faster to utilize Hamilton International Airport than Toronto International. Taxes are less. Plus, we're a good hour closer to the United States Border- both Buffalo and Detroit! Hamilton, is now fully connected with fast access from one end of the City to the other! We've got planes, trains, automobiles and boats!

Hamilton is an absolutely gorgeous City. Graced with the Niagara Escarpment, Bruce Trail, Cootes Paradise, The Harbourfront, the shores of Lake Ontario and surrounded by the greenbelt. It's prettier than any other City in a 100 km radius! Oh yes, it's still the Steel City...because it's strong and tough.

I'm sure proud to live in this City and I'm more than excited about it's future. The Red Hill Creek Expressway could very well prove to be the most important piece of infrastructure in Hamilton history! Nothing can stop us now!!!!!!