MPP urges Ford to disclose backroom deal to demolish, sell off Foundry site

QUEEN'S PARK — During question period Monday, Toronto Centre MPP Suze Morrison challenged Premier Doug Ford to come clean and tell Ontarians which developer he is giving a sweetheart deal to to get ownership of the heritage-listed Foundry buildings at Eastern Ave. in the West Don Lands.

CBC News has reported that Doug Ford approved a secret deal with an undisclosed buyer in September to sell the provincially owned land, which has been at the heart of weeks of controversy, with residents and the Opposition urging the government to stop demolishing the Foundry and start consulting community and city hall about plans for the historic site.

"Nothing is safe from Ford’s bulldozers — not heritage sites, not environmentally sensitive wetlands, not farmland or the Greenbelt," Morrison said. "He couldn’t even be bothered to consult with the community, or to notify the City of Toronto, about this secret backroom deal. What counts in Doug Ford’s Ontario is politics and money – not people.”

The Ford government is refusing to disclose the identity of the buyer and the price they paid for it. The deal appears to have been cooked up without allowing other bidders, and without listing the property for sale.

"This deal stinks," Morrison said. "It’s time for this government to come clean. Our community deserves answers."

Morrison has been fighting alongside community members for a pause on demolition, and for the community to be consulted about the best use of the land.