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TORONTO \u2014 A new Liaison Strategies poll conducted for Focus Ontario\u00a0finds significant public opposition to the Ontario government\u2019s proposal to build a tunnel under Highway 401.<\/p>\n
Conducted from Dec. 5 to 7, 2025, using Interactive Voice Response technology, the survey polled 1,000 Ontarians.<\/p>\n
Only 28 per cent of respondents support the project, while 45 per cent are opposed. When asked to choose the top transportation priority for the GTA, only six per cent chose the tunnel. Thirty-three per cent say the priority should be improving public transit, followed by local roads and intersections at 20 per cent.<\/p>\n
Other elements pertaining to the tunnel include:<\/p>\n
\n- Transparency and safety:<\/strong>\u00a078 per cent said the government should publicly release previous studies on the tunnel, even if they raise serious concerns.<\/li>\n
- Safety concerns:<\/strong>\u00a0While 58 per cent of respondents were initially concerned about safety and construction risks, that number jumped to 75 per cent (with 49 per cent \u201cvery concerned\u201d) after being informed of reported internal risks like roadway collapse.<\/li>\n
- Opportunity costs:<\/strong>\u00a0If the tunnel project limits funding for other priorities, 46 per cent of Ontarians would prefer the province focus on health care, education or housing. Only seven per cent would prioritize building the tunnel over these areas.<\/li>\n
- Trust and impact:<\/strong>\u00a036 per cent of Ontarians have \u201cno trust at all\u201d in the government to manage the project safely, on budget and transparently. Forty-seven per cent believe the tunnel will do \u201cnothing\u201d or \u201ca little\u201d to actually reduce traffic congestion.<\/li>\n
- Project characterization:<\/strong>\u00a0Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) describe the project as \u201cunrealistic, risky and wasteful,\u201d compared to 18 per cent who view it as a \u201cbold, nation-building project.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cThe data suggests that only PC voters support the project,\u201d said David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies, in a statement. \u201cFifty-six per cent of PC supporters back the tunnel, 20 per cent oppose it and 16 per cent are neutral. Across almost every other demographic and region, opposition outweighs support. With 78 per cent supporting the release of previous studies, transparency will likely be a key issue for the government moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey also took a look at the political climate in Ontario.<\/p>\n
According to the release, if a provincial election were held today, Doug Ford\u2019s PCs would lead the Ontario Liberals by nine points among decided and leaning voters, 44 per cent to 35 per cent.
The Ontario Liberals still do not have a permanent leader in place and haven\u2019t announced details of a leadership race, Liaison notes, so \u201csome Ontarians may simply be parking their vote with the party for now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The margin of error for the poll is \u00b1 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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